


Turning the hourglass

by sabakunoo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Blood and Gore, Dismemberment, Dubious Consent, I put an underage warning because Crocodile had sex at the age of 14 years old, Multi, Sex is not a priority in that fic, The nature of Crocodile and Robin relationship is also dubious at best, beside that there is also a warning for, but there are a few nsfw chapters still, in one chapter because of DoflaCroc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-04 23:28:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 21
Words: 33,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11001237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabakunoo/pseuds/sabakunoo
Summary: A collection of Sir Crocodile's headcanon in fic form, from age 0 to 44 when he was introduced in the OP manga. A fanstory about his life, his struggles, his love, and loss.





	1. The calm before the tempest

“Crocodiiiiiile! Crocoooodiiile, dinner...! Where is that child again…?” A womanly voice pierced through the air, the sound reverberating against the trees in the forest surrounding his home. The young boy was barely over the age of 5 but he was already out hunting. His skills were already noticeable but not exactly because of his strength. Being such a young boy, Crocodile did not have the strength required to take down a tiger or a gorilla but his plans and traps were ingenious and crafty. For example, Crocodile was looking at his prized catch, starry-eyed and amazed that his trap worked and that he managed to catch a monkey about the same size as him. The poor animal was thrashing about and Crocodile was sitting right in front of him, trademark grin splitting his features until the lovely voice of his mother reached his ears. A groan escaped his lips and his brows furrowed as he replied a quick « Coming! » to his mother and left the monkey behind for…later use. A real hunter did not free its preys, after all. Hunting might be a sport but the best part of it is when you get to kill your catch. With that in mind, Crocodile rushed back home, thinking of what he would be doing with the beast later on. It’s not like it could possibly break out of that devilish torture device, what with its leg being bent at an awkward angle and blood dripping from a gash on his thigh.  
  
The scent of goat meat filled his nostrils and he was already salivating. If anything, his mother sure knew how to cook and that was probably the only thing he liked about her. Her hair was a mess, her body neglected; as if married women didn’t have to exercise any more or be seductive after being given a ring. How shameless! She used to be so beautiful too, one of the most beautiful women of the kingdom according to his father. Crocodile had seen many pictures of her plastered in the smoke room, when she was a lot younger and before she brought 5 children into that home. Even being a little over 5, Crocodile knew that she was letting herself go. Long, silky black strands, wide and shining emerald eyes, full lips delicately painted and a body that would put Aphrodite to shame. Nowadays, he often heard his father talking with his buddy in the smoke room. The patriarch talked about a girl called Cindy and how great she looked compared to his wife. If Crocodile wanted, he could have told the story to his mom but by the age of 5, he was already smart enough to know it wasn’t worth it. Besides, he liked his dad better. His dad told him that if he was a good boy until his next birthday, Crocodile would be getting his first gun. The kid was obviously excited and ready to shut his trap about many of his father’s wrongdoings for the price of a gun. His birthday was going to come quickly as well, summer was nearly over.  
  
Sitting at the table, Crocodile saw his 4 younger brothers coming one after the other. Despite not being attracted as much to his mother, it seemed that Sir Kogaru was still very much a family man. He had Lily have one boy a year after he married her because he wanted to have strong heirs to take his place when he would be gone. Someone would have to protect the kingdom, after all. Crocodile had little to no interest in his brothers or family business unless forced into it by his mother, like when she asked for help in the house. Being the oldest son sucked but if he was honest with himself, Crocodile would have realized he was a pretty privileged kid, being the first of the family. He had more freedom than anyone in that house, even more than his mother who was locked in to tend to the babies or the oven, even more than his father who was the general of this kingdom’s armies. While there were no wars, he was the one fighting against the pirates who dared to invade their country. Oftentimes, Crocodile tried to sneak behind his father but as soon as the man grabbed his horse, his tiny legs had no hopes of ever being able to keep up. Many times, he tried to have his father bring him to work but the man always refused, saying it was no place for a child and that his time would come. Of course, Crocodile couldn’t help noticing the pride in his father’s tone each time he asked. Maybe having his first son getting an interest in the military was making him happy and Crocodile loved making his father happy. His father was the best, after all.  
  
Once the dinner was over, the time of getting the table cleaned up came. To help his mother, more like he had no other choice, he cleared the table and then rushed back outside for the next few hours. There was still going to be sunlight in this country until at least 9 pm and he did not want to miss his chance to play with the monkey. Big was his deception when he realized the beast had freed itself by tearing through the bamboo bars. There was still fresh blood on the broken cage and on the ground, which he could follow but his father always told him to never go after a wounded animal. “Damn it…Should have killed it before dinner.” Apparently, these are vicious. When preys are backed in a corner this is where they are the most dangerous. Stomping his foot on the ground, Crocodile huffed and left the forest, going east instead to find the desert. If he couldn’t play with the monkey, then he was going to find some scorpions in the dunes and have them fight to the death.


	2. Rough years

It’s been almost a year since Crocodile received his gun and he had yet to receive the bullets. His father had definitely played a dirty trick on him and it threw Crocodile off so much that he wanted nothing more than to kill his father so he could get his greedy little hands on the coveted bullets. It was nothing but decoration and even if he got an ‘intimidating’ factor by having it hang loosely on his hip, he could only play pretend with it. The more time passed between the moment he received his gift and the present, the darker his thoughts were getting. His father told him that he was still too young and frail to possibly shoot the gun so Crocodile had decided to prove him wrong and against all odds, started to train his body. Apparently, someone needed to be strong to shoot a gun, right? Crocodile was going to prove him just that and get the god damn bullets so he could hunt with something else than these boring traps. Which were nothing boring really but he was tired of being crafty and wanted immediate satisfaction with his hunts. He was no longer satisfied with trapping monkeys, stray cats, scorpions in the desert or some other reptilian animals he found along the way. He wanted to go deeper into the forest and hunt a cheetah, a bear or a god damn Wendigo for all he cared. It just needed to be bigger and stronger. From that moment onward, Crocodile kept training. Cardio, muscular, he did them all. A few months later was going to be his birthday again and he certainly hoped that his father would deem him strong enough to be able to get the bullets. Assuredly, in those 4 months, he’d be able to get in shape enough to have his father’s approval. And just as he expected, his father mentioned mid-summer that he had an incredible surprise for him for his sixth birthday.  
  
Crocodile didn’t stop training. In fact, he only trained harder now that he knew his goal was within his reach. His body changed more than what a child should and he lost what little baby fat he had left. Muscles started to define themselves but not yet enough to be considered dangerous for his health or overdoing it. He was getting healthier, at best.   
When his sixth birthday finally came, Crocodile expected to open a box and be finally rewarded for his efforts but the gift he received felt like a punch to his stomach. “You’re going to military school three years earlier! Isn’t that great! That’s my boy!” Sir Kogaru gave him the military school papers that allowed him to enter the great establishment his own father had gone through. Little Crocodile wanted to throw a fit but part of him was really happy about being accepted so early. He would be the younger of his class and he was going to make sure he bested everyone. A new challenge had appeared. Unbeknownst to Crocodile, he had been observed in the past year by both his father and the recruitment agents of this school and all of them had seen him train, hunt and everything. Some of those raised concerns upon seeing his ability to kill mercilessly but his father simply said it was the thrill of the hunt and there was nothing to worry about. With the encouragements of the school’s committee, they all settled on disciplining the prodigal children so this murderous streak would be redirected toward protecting the kingdom.  
  
Crocodile did not throw a fit that night but he definitely wasn’t pleased with not getting the bullets. It took a few days for him to pack his stuff before his father finally allowed him on his horse and led him to that prestigious school. Usually, military training classes started for those who were 9-10 years old and continued until they were adults, in Crocodile’s kingdom. But him? He was so good at age 6 they decided to pick him up early. His father couldn’t be any prouder of his son and he kept repeating it as they trotted toward their destination, making small Crocodile’s chest puff up with pride. His father relentlessly told him about how it was amazing that at his age he managed to get in since even he had to wait until he was 9. Kogaru made the mistake of telling him that in no time he would likely have his old man surpassed. It, unfortunately, didn’t fall on deaf ears.  
Crocodile was getting excited to show how great he was to the other kids. He was none other than Sir Kogaru’s son, it was only natural that he’d be better than them all plebeian’s sons. Despite his excitement though, he wasn’t as well received as he thought he would be. By the age of seven, a year into his internship, he realized that his acceptance into the school wasn’t viewed as him being prodigal but rather as being pushed by his father’s reputation. Crocodile worked twice as hard in school to catch up with others because even if he was amazing for 7 years old, the other kids were two years older than him and were definitely rejecting him as well as better than him in all sense of the word. The lack of friendships and the struggles he found on his way forced little Crocodile to change, much more than if he had just stayed home until it was time to send him off. For another year, he resented his parents dearly and even missed hunting monkeys. Every day he was ignored by his classmates. Not exactly bullied as no one wanted to mess with Kogaru’s son but no one really wanted to befriend him either. When it was time to do ‘teamwork’ he was always the last one picked. Two years in and he hated everyone. Sure, he was the top of his class; having no friends to play with, the boy turned to study and training, making himself easily become the very best of all his classes by the age of 8. While it was true that he was on top of his game, most kids said that the teachers were biased behind his back and that he really didn’t earn all these high scores. Again, no one trusted him and his abilities. Only his father was proud of him and at this point, he pretty much heavily disliked the man for not only retaining the rights to use bullets with his gun but also for putting him in military school before his time. He saw the point but he hated it.  
  
The rumors infuriated him, made something dark build up inside the poor child and at this moment, he decided that no one mattered. He deserved these scores, he worked hard. It was good for him as it helped him cope with the solitude but it also distanced him even more from the others and affected his ability to sympathize with them. Often, he saw the kids playing marines and pirates and his fingers caressed the gun hanging on his hip before crossing his arms and begrudgingly wishing he could play with them. For another year, he simply watched them all having fun while he got better. Someday though, he couldn’t manage to calm the hate that filled his heart. A boy named Sorgi. The most popular one in his class. He was paired up with him for a project because while he was popular, he was one of the worst and the teacher thought it would be great to have him work with the best. The project was relatively easy for 12 years old kid trained in the military. Crocodile might have been only 9 but he was up to date with the older boys. The exercise was to spend a full day and night alone in the forest where they had to hunt for their food. Of course, they weren’t allowed to go too deep and there were probably teachers hiding here and there but technically, they weren’t supposed to interfere. Crocodile, who was the craftiest of them both, started planting traps around their encampment and the boy annoyingly asked questions every two seconds, looking as if he genuinely wanted to learn.   
  
It grated on every last of his nerve.  
  
Crocodile still taught him, patiently, swallowing back the brewing anger inside of his small body but it would soon be too much, even for him. They eventually caught some bunnies and small birds and Crocodile started a fire, fed them both, prepared the shelter and blanket of moss so they could have a good night’s sleep. Basically? He did everything. He woke up in the middle of the night screaming in pain and saw his little buddy using one of the polished rocks of his makeshift weapon. Sorgi slashed a big gash on Crocodile’s thigh. The kid was smiling like a devil and for a moment, Crocodile didn’t understand what was happening or why. “Sorgi, what’s wrong with you?!? STOP!” When the teachers arrived and saw Crocodile clutching his thigh, Sorgi had already discarded the weapon and explained that he had managed to frighten a bear but not in time to save Crocodile from being attacked. Obviously, Crocodile didn’t agree and violently reacted. “No, he’s lying! He’s the one who cut me! With a weapon I MADE!” His desperate cries fell on deaf ears and he was carried back to get medical treatment. He failed the exercise while his buddy collected the honors. Crocodile tried to tell the truth and that everything the other boy said was a big fat lie but nobody listened to him, the cut on his thigh proof enough. Why would anyone believe him? Nobody was mad enough to do something so horrible, especially not Sorgi who was loved by everyone and was such a good boy. Crocodile was livid. Nobody mocked him. Nobody should be allowed to make a fool out of him.  
  
Sorgi was found at the bottom of a cliff a week later. Crocodile didn’t even blink once throughout the whole funerals, his leg still healing from the nasty cut he had gotten. His father seized the gun and Crocodile didn’t argue. He had no bullets anyway so it was still only a decoration…but his father taking hold of the gun meant that he knew. Even the school and the teachers had doubts but could they prove it? Certainly not.  
  
Someone else knew. Someone had seen him actually push Sorgi down the cliff but no words had escaped that boy’s lips yet.


	3. Pirate wannabe

Gun or not, Crocodile rebelled. He was 10 years old and halfway through his third year at military school. Still on top of his class, still hated by most, if not all. He was also feared, at this point. Even if the authorities had called Sorgi’s fall an accident, people had doubts and doubts were more than enough. Now, instead of being plainly ignored, he was also feared which did bring a little sentiment of pride into him. Unfortunately, after this tragic event, Crocodile and his father’s relationship deteriorated and Kogaru didn’t know how to fix it. The boy asked for his gun and the bullets but his father was, within reason, not too inclined to provide his son with a weapon just yet. Crocodile eventually stopped asking and Kogaru finally sat down with his mother, who gave him the best idea of all. Bring his kid to work. Let him taste a bit of his father’s glory. Kogaru thought he was a bit young to go on the battlefield but in the end, realized that seeing justice being made was probably the best thing he could do. To see his father killing for a reason, and that reason was to protect the country.  
  
Sitting him on his horse after asking the school’s committee to pull him out for a couple weeks, Crocodile then enjoyed some time with his father but what he loved the most was the sight of him defeating pirates. These guys were strong but his father was even stronger than them. Crocodile even had the chance of following his father to one of the king’s meetings where he was given orders for the next raid on a supposed pirate hideout on the island. It was a secret mission and Crocodile obviously asked his father to come, only to be met with a refusal.  
  
Fortunately, the kid had some blackmail. “I’ll tell mom about Cindy.” Crocodile got what he wanted and was even given a sword his size to defend, in case some grunts tried to get their hands on him. Feeling the weight of the blade in his tiny hand, Crocodile couldn’t help the excited little noise that escaped him. Kogaru warned him about the dangers he could be facing but Crocodile was too thrilled to care about it. A week later, they went to the pirate hideout with 40 men and the fight he was given to watch was nothing short of amazing. On one side, pirates chanting about freedom and doing what they wanted, on another, his father and the kingdom’s knights snarling about justice. Something shifted in Crocodile in that very moment, the sight of the pirate captain fighting for his life making him all warm and fuzzy inside. Sure, in the end, his father dealt the finishing blow and rushed after the rest of the crew, but Crocodile took the risk to approach the dying pirate, a guy with a name he wouldn’t remember two days later. But he sure would forever remember what he said between his dying breaths. It was something along the lines of «I die a free man ». It seemed easy to say for someone who was dying so at first, Crocodile didn’t think much of it. Slowly though, it would make its way inside his very soul.  
  
After that, Crocodile started questioning his father. Why, if he was so strong, did he feel the need to obey someone else’s orders? What is justice? Why are pirates bad? Why are knights good? His father saw it as his son opening up to the knight’s ways but in reality, Crocodile was starting to feel that his father was not as great as he thought he was. He was killing free men. He was fighting someone else’s fight instead of his own and that, that felt pathetic. For 10 years old Crocodile it was boring. It lacked ambition. Why wasting his strength fighting for someone else when he could fight for himself? Who would want to be told what to do all of their life? Certainly not that kid.  
  
Time skip a few months, Crocodile finally started to force himself into groups of children to make some friends. They were all older than him but he had a frightening reputation, which helped him manipulate them into doing his bidding. At first, they played with him because they were afraid but they eventually opened up to him. If he tried, Crocodile definitely had charisma. Besides, whenever they played knights and pirates, he was always willing to play the villain, which is a side no one really wanted to take. Some boys eventually joined him and he claimed himself a pirate captain, oftentimes defeating the knights with his strategies. No one saw anything wrong with that, it was all kids play after all. The more he won, the more friends he gained, the more powerful Crocodile felt. By the age of 12 years old, he had decided he would not be taking the same direction as his father. He obviously kept this decision for himself, smart enough to understand that saying out loud what he wanted to become would cause him more trouble than anything.  
  
He was going to be a pirate.


	4. Daz Bones

“I saw you.” It’s been over three years since Crocodile’s first murder and no one ever said anything or at least, not to him. Yet this boy here, with these simple words, was making Crocodile’s dreamworld crash-land in a terrible way. Was he going to have to kill again? Not that he really cared about that but he’d rather not make this story resurface or break the nice guy façade he had managed to put up in the past 3 years. Everything was going so well right now and he had been somewhat good by not causing many disturbances. The twelve years old boy’s brows furrowed as they locked on dull gray-colored irises and he analyzed his opponent. Another boy, probably 2 years older than him. He remembered having a few classes with him. Tanned skin, gray hair, deep gray eyes, full lips and a well-built body. If he remembered correctly, this guy’s name was Daz Bones and he was the son of one of his father’s knights.  
  
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”  
  
“You do.”  
  
“Even if I did, what are you trying to do, blackmailing me?” Crocodile scoffed but Daz didn’t even flinch. In fact, he didn't seem fazed much, either by the fact that Crocodile had killed a boy when he was only 9 years old nor by the fact he was threatening him under his breath.   
  
“No. I thought he deserved it.”  
  
Then, he simply left. What a weird boy. For a full week, Crocodile feared the other would speak so he prepared himself to fight Daz, concocting evil little plans to take him down before it would be too late. It wouldn’t be easy, though. Daz was smart, older and stronger. He knew that the kid had managed to skip a year. He was in the same class as Crocodile but he, too, was younger than the average of the class which was around 15. Crocodile couldn’t underestimate him. The day Crocodile decided he was going to finally make a move was the day Daz decided to sit with him in the cafeteria, choosing the exact spot at Crocodile’s right. Another thing he hadn’t expected. Silently, Daz ate his meal and waited for Crocodile to finish his before picking both of their empty trays and bring them back to the counter. Needless to say, he was flabbergasted. Not a word was exchanged so Crocodile decided to wait before taking action. Daz was destabilizing him. If he was usually good at reading people, he had no idea what went on in that head of his.  
  
After that and for the rest of the year, Daz always sat next to him, they hung together, played together, studied together. They never talked much but both of them were fine with it. Crocodile wasn’t the kind of guy who liked getting too close to people even if he was now surrounded at all time. He had plenty of friends but he only ever hung out with Daz. Where Crocodile was good, Daz was weak and vice versa so they completed each other really well in school. Both of their grades spiked up after they allied together. Crocodile helped Daz with everything military focused, from the learnings of history to devil fruits, passing by the legend of the ancient weapons and the different kind of weapons the knights could use. Daz taught him how to fight and how to increase his stamina and they both finished ace of their classes. It was a good year.  
Reaching puberty, Crocodile started to get interested in more than what he learned at school. With Daz by his side, he managed to go to big guys’ parties and got his first taste of rum by the age of 13. His grades fell a little behind and his father snarled at him for disappointing him but Crocodile got through this rebellious phase by ignoring all of his parents’ complaints. He was doing good, he felt free and his grades weren’t as terrible as they implied since he was still on top of his classes. Except in history, where his interest waned a little. It was only when they talked about the ancient weapons that he really actively listened. Come 14 years old and he got his first girlfriend but she left him a few weeks later when he sneaked a hand under her skirt. Disappointed and turned off, he turned his gaze to a more mature woman who would likely not turn him down. Little girls were just not at his level so Crocodile thought that he could hit two birds with one stone.  
  
Getting his charismatic skills on, Crocodile managed to seduce his history teacher. He was only fourteen and she was twenty-six. She smelled of vanilla and cinnamon and had the cutest laugh he ever heard though it was nothing compared to her moans. The way she squirmed when he passed his fingers around her bouncy breasts, the way her body seemed so pliable to his whims made her look absolutely stunning. He had come to her for an after-school teaching lesson because he genuinely wanted to improve his grades. It had ended up with his lips wrapped around her tit and his fingers buried knuckles deep into her warmth. He had brought her to climax a couple times before she told him they couldn’t do it, that it was shameful and unprofessional of her. Crocodile pulled away but he had his eyes set on her and he wasn’t going to give up so easily, especially not now that she allowed him to go so far. Besides, he had learned to be patient, really patient. She had given him a taste and wasn’t as prudish as girls his age so he knew that with a bit of work, he would have her.  
  
A couple weeks later, what had to happen, happened. During another of their study nights, Crocodile took her. His lips trailed down the length of her neck and her fingers dug into his black hair, nails scratching lightly at his scalp as he finally reached the curve of her breast. Seconds later, his lips wrapped around her tit and he teased it with his tongue, both of his hands sliding down her sides. He caressed every inch of her waist before grabbing her by the hips, his erection pressing against her navel through his jeans, which felt like exploding at the moment. Golden eyes lidded sensually as they locked within her blue ones and Crocodile brushed his lips against hers. Before claiming her mouth his tongue traced her dull teeth and tangled sensually with her own. Both of his hands slid against her soft skin and he cupped that bubble butt shamelessly, feeling the silk of her underwear under his finger pads. “You’re so sexy…any man would be lucky to have you.” Within seconds, he had it pulled off of her. It might have been out of shame that the bold teenager was taking the lead but she eventually shoved him on his back and sat on his erection, her hips moving tantalizingly over him. Gripping at her hips, he ground up against her and breathed out a shaky sigh before biting his bottom lip. “Fuck” the word rolled off his tongue and he threw his head back, his back arching off so his hard cock would press against her even more. She had to have had belly dancing lessons with the way she undulated over him and Crocodile relished in that mouth-watering scene. Her blond hair tickled his neck as she bent and kissed him, her ass lifting up so she could undo the button on his jean. Finally.  
  
What came next had him gasping and rocking his hips forward, the warmth of her mouth around his shaft leaving him ecstatic with how good it felt. Crocodile brought two fingers to his mouth and bit on his knuckles trying to restrain his moans, but she quickly pulled them away and locked her intense blue gaze on him as she sucked him off. It didn’t take too long for him to reach his climax. After all, he was still only fourteen years old and receiving his first blowjob. He came within minutes and she pulled away with a satisfied smirk, even going as far as to say it would be enough for tonight. He wouldn’t have any of it. Like a rabid animal, he fell on her, pushing her back down and locking his lips back with hers. He could taste himself on her tongue, his still hard cock grinding between her thighs, leaving her shuddering like a leaf in the wind. He could even feel her heat through her panties. There was no way she was going to refuse him and he didn’t want it to end so soon. “Let me at least repay the favor.” Crocodile ushered, already pretty intent on getting her so aroused she’d let him fuck her.  
  
Forcing her legs apart, Crocodile buried his tongue between the wet folds of her cunt but she had to guide him to her clit since he had no experience. It’s with this woman that he learned his way around a vulva but thankfully, he was a fast learner. Especially if there was a reward at the end of the day. Once he was directed to it, he couldn’t let it go. That little bead was pulsing against his tongue so he sucked, bit and licked with everything he had, watching her coming undone under his ministrations. He found himself leaking even more as her moan poured like water out of a fountain and before long, he had two fingers buried and curled within her sex, stroking the base of her clit from the inside. She was singing, dancing and showing her pleasure to him in one of the best show he had ever seen. The ache in his cock growing so intense that after 20 more minutes and a longing pain in his jaw, he couldn’t help it. He got back on his knees between her legs and pushed his cock inside her in one swift motion, hearing her say “n-nn-nn-noo… mnn...ahhhh!! YES!” which made him swell with pride. If she had any reluctance at first, within the first five minutes she had him flipped on his back and was riding his cock like the goddess that she was. This time, he lasted a bit longer. He watched with pride and adoration as her lovely breasts bounced with the rhythm, his body shuddering beneath her. The sound of her ass slapping his thigh sent ripples of heat coursing through his veins and Crocodile moaned her name out, cursing and telling her how good she was in between hard breaths. When they eventually both reached their peak, his body was covered in a light sheen of sweat and he reeked of the scent of sex. His stupid expression followed him home to a father that was waiting impatiently for his return.  
  
“Where were you?” Kogaru asked, visibly upset by his son being back so late yet only slightly concerned by his starry eyes.  
  
“At school, studying history.” Crocodile replied smugly, making his way back to his room and ignoring his father if he had anything else to say, though he doubted heavily the old man would add anything.  
  
He finished his history semester with a perfect score.


	5. The king is in danger

It was his fifteenth birthday party and the first he didn’t spend with his family. His dad was so proud of him because he only got half a year to do and he’ll have completed the military training, finally graduating with honors three years earlier than most. For this great event, his dad allowed him a «day off» where he could be free to do whatever he wanted and Crocodile asked to meet the king. It wasn’t such an easy thing to do but the king, having heard of Crocodile’s many exploits, was more than happy to acquiesce to that request. He spent the day in the castle, visiting the library, learning about history and how great of a knight his father was. This wasn’t exactly why he wanted to meet the king but Crocodile could feel he was getting closer to the truth. He visited the treasure’s room and by the end of the day, Crocodile had a question ready for his king.  
  
“Is it true that you have a devil fruit, in this castle?” The teenager had heard rumors about it from a gang of pirates the last time his father fought them. Apparently, the king was hiding a fruit that had grown in the arid desert of their kingdom, a fruit called the Suna Suna no Mi. Since Crocodile had studied some of them at school, he already knew what to expect from this one and his greedy little paws wanted to get in on that devil fruit’s business. After all, Crocodile wanted to be a pirate and there was nothing better for a sailor than to be cursed to be a hammer, right? The promise of power was worth it though and with the Suna Suna no Mi being a logia, it would make him nigh invincible. The king’s brows furrowed upon the question, not sure how he was going to handle it.  
  
“It might be. I’m surprised you know about it, Kehuehue, hekuekue!” The king’s distinct laugh resonated against the room they were in and he dropped a hand on Crocodile’s shoulder. “He who is weak should not seek to gain strength through the devil. Acquire your strength, Crocodile, and you’ll be even greater than your father or anyone in this country.” Did the king have a hunch that Crocodile wanted it? Nonetheless, Crocodile nodded at him and faked a smile, his little brain cogs already turning to formulate a plan.  
  
Back to school, Crocodile decided to tell Daz Bones about his plans. Within a couple of months, he and the tanned boy had built a crew of sort. A bunch of lawless kids at school who were good enough but considered bullies. Words of it came to his father but Crocodile said they weren’t as bad as they seemed, that they were just misunderstood kids. It didn’t sit well with Kogaru, but he let it slid because, for the first time, Crocodile was bringing kids at home and showing signs of sociability. Which was much needed for a life as a knight. If you can’t work with others, you can’t become a great leader, right? For the rest of the year, Crocodile, Daz and the rest of their ‘alliance’ worked and trained hard to get their diplomas. The big day was supposed to come for prom day. The day they would steal the Suna Suna no Mi and escape this hell of a boring kingdom to sail the seas.  
  
Unfortunately for Crocodile, rumors of the king wanting to give the fruit to his father were already circulating. He’d heard two teachers talking about it in a hallway and it forced him to put his plan into motions much faster. This wasn’t going as he expected but he would use this twist of fate to his advantage. Looking back at his friends, Crocodile said they had to move the plans to a nearby date, even before they finished school. In February of his sweet sixteen, the plan was finally set into motion. It was his last year in school but he started to doubt he would ever finish it. Only a few months left but he didn’t have that time anymore.  
  
“Today is the big day.” Crocodile whispered to Daz Bones with a gleam in his eyes, his lips outstretched in a devilish grin. “We’re going to steal freedom.”


	6. The ceremony

The plan was simple. Crocodile had to find a bunch of pirates, tell them about the devil fruit hiding in the King’s castle, help them with a plan to put the king in danger. Easy enough, right? Not exactly. Seeing how the king’s fortress was well guarded and his father was the leader of the army and the closest knight to the king, he had to find a way to not make it obvious that they had received outside help. Another point is that it couldn’t be just any kind of pirates, they had to be strong too but not strong enough that they’d just go and kill his father or the king in a fit of rage.   
  
Without any further ado, Crocodile and his crew started looking around the island for the worst of them all. They ended up slaughtering a few low life pirates, earning his father’s approval and the king’s appreciation and thus, gaining a reputation as ‘saviors’ and ‘heroes’. Again, it was nothing like being a knight but his father thought that his son was in the good direction. If he had known he was actually fighting the pirates to find the crew that was strong enough to distract him, he probably would have turned his tongue twice before telling Crocodile how proud he was. It took a couple more months before he finally found himself on the losing end but not before he took a life or two out of this captain’s crew. It was a risqué plan but without any pain, there would be no gain. Blood seeped from Crocodile’s lips as he faked being terrorized, ordering to his men to lower their weapons. The pirate’s heavy boot pressed down on Crocodile’s chest and he was spat on, the brutish man now asking if he had any last words. “I’ve got better than that!” He smiled, the tip of the man’s sword pressing under his jawline.  
  
“Stop being arrogant. It’s your minute, don’t you want to apologize and beg for your life?” The taller man expressed himself with disdain but also a bit of curiosity. After all, Crocodile’s guts were impressive. For a teenager to stand up to a pirate like that despite being terrorized, the kid sure knew how to impress.  
  
“I know the insides of the castle well and I know where the king is hiding the devil fruit.” Hook, line, and sinker. He could already see in the eyes of the greedy man that he had won him over. Even though the captain seemed to hesitate, Crocodile added a few more words to incense him.  
  
“I’ll even lead you to it if you let me join your crew! Those pirates we defeated? All weaklings. I was waiting for someone as strong as you to come here!” Flattery was another way to soothe the man’s fury and the burst of laughter that followed just set in stone that he had done right. A large palm replaced the sword at his neck and he was lifted off the ground.  
  
“BUHWAHWAHWA” The pirate’s roaring laughter erupted from between his thin lips which were barely seen behind the mess of a red beard he was sporting. “You sure have GUTS, kid. What’s your name?”  
  
“Crocodile, sir.”  
  
He and his crew spent the next few days with the pirates, talking about the jolly roger, the life on the sea and their exploits. It was nothing impressive and Crocodile couldn’t bring himself to care much about them but they were sure feeding his already growing hunger for freedom. The tales were boring but the way the captain told them, the way his eyes shone and how hard he partied made Crocodile lust for that kind of life. After earning this crew’s trust, he finally set his plan into motion. In a couple of weeks, they were going to attack the castle and steal the devil fruit—except that things wouldn’t be exactly going like that.  
  
The night of the attack, Crocodile, Daz and the rest of their friends were ready. They let the pirates enter first and they, on the other hand, started looking through the castle for the fruit. They actually had no idea where it was despite telling the captain’s otherwise. He knew that his father would be coming over before long anyway and that the king’s life would be safe but just in case, he had decided to lead the captain to the king’s quarters, saying that is where the fruit was hidden. After showing him the plans of the castle and being denied access to this mission, Crocodile faked being offended but said he understood. Apparently, the captain still thought he was too young to join on such a dangerous mission. How little did he know? “You’re like the son I never had, brat. You’ll be a nice addition to our crew when I eat that fruit, BAHWAHWAHWA”  
  
As if.  
  
20 minutes after the attack started, the knights started the counter attack. The captain entered the king’s room and started wreaking havoc, turning everything upside down as one of his men held the queen at gunpoint and another had the king held hostage with a sword under his neck. Crocodile, who had studied the castle’s secret passages, entered the room with Daz before his father even reached it and slaughtered the two who were holding the king and queen as hostages. The furious captain, who just then realized he had been betrayed, rushed to him with his swords raised. It’s at this exact moment that their swords clashed and Kogaru entered the room to finish the captain, not leaving the poor man a chance to talk about Crocodile’s treachery. When Kogaru asked what Crocodile was doing there, he simply said that he had seen pirates going to the castle and felt the need to protect the king. Sold.  
  
The next day, the whole island was celebrating Crocodile and Daz, calling them superheroes after they had saved the king and queen from the attack of those vicious pirates. The king held a ceremony to congratulate the prodigal son of the army’s general and first knight of the king. Everyone in the kingdom, at least everyone of importance, assisted to the ceremony. Crocodile was made a knight and thus called Sir Crocodile at the age of 16 after rescuing the king from a plan he had himself devised. As a gift for such an accomplishment, his father gave him back his gun, which he had held onto for 7 years after the death of Sorgi. This time, he even gave him the bullets. That night, he heard his father talk in the smoke room with the king and his ears caught the refusal of the devil fruit, Kogaru was saying he wanted to offer it to his elder son when he graduated from the military school.  
  
The rumors about the king giving the fruit to the first knight disappeared and Crocodile’s next plan was already being discussed between him and the rest of his crew.


	7. Prom night

During the last two months at military school, he did not relent in his studies. Crocodile stayed on top of his class during the day and plotted the kingdom’s demises in the evening with Daz and the rest of their crew. The plan was simple; they were to gather as much information as possible on prom night. From the number of knights who would be present to what kind of food they were to serve. Some details might not seem crucial on first sight but Crocodile did not want to overlook anything for the night of the taking. This was the night they were definitely going to steal freedom, no matter what the cost. The plan was simple but the realization of it asked for a good portion of luck.   
Crocodile studied the Suna Suna no Mi in lost times, trying to find every bout of information he could come across. The previous owners, what kind of attacks. He even asked the king for permission to use the royal library, which held more information than the one they had in the military school. He pretended he wanted to perfect his skills and needed these ancient volumes. Once the permission was granted, he and Daz visited the king’s library at least thrice a week, keeping the four other nights to prepare their crew to the fight. They practiced every day without relent, allowing themselves not much more than 6 hours a night’s sleep so they could practice their swordsmanship’s skills in the morning before going to school. The fateful date approached rapidly and Crocodile had a hard time staying still, but he managed it because he was a patient man and knew that it would be rewarding. The night before the chaos, Crocodile told his dad he was going to sleep at Daz’s because he wanted to play some games and be a teen one last time before becoming a knight. His father was so proud of him that he couldn’t see how suspicious that was and waved him goodbye telling him he’d be there during the ceremony, with the rest of their family.  
  
Both of them went to their secret hideout and met with the rest of their crew to read over the last details. They stayed up until late in the night and they eventually returned home to get some shut-eye, leaving Daz and Crocodile alone in their cabin in the wood. Out from under a plank on the floor, Crocodile got a bottle of rum and took a sip before sharing some with Daz. “Tomorrow, we’ll either die free men or become pirates, Daz, kuhahaha!” He chuckled loudly, cheeks tinting red as he took another swig and locked his golden gaze on his only friend. The only one he trusted enough. Even his crew was unaware about the devil fruit being given to him; only Daz knew. Who knew what these greedy kids would try to do to get their hands on it, right? The only one he was sure had no intentions of getting it was Daz Bones, so he was the only one who knew about it. These other kids just wanted to sail the sea and thought that leaving the kingdom with a bang was flashy enough.  
  
They were only planning a massacre, nothing else.  
  
“You scared, yet?” Crocodile asked, outstretched lips shimmering with a little coating of rum. Daz didn’t reply, favoring being quiet and taking action instead. The older boy moved closer and kissed Crocodile’s lips making the raven’s eyes widen in surprise and drop the bottle of rum to the floor. He tried to take a few steps back but ended up pathetically crawling away, not that Daz allowed it. His lips soon found their way back onto Crocodile’s, both of his hands taking hold of his jawline as the sixteen years old felt his back hit the wall. He was trapped but at the same time, he didn’t feel trapped. Never once had he questioned his sexuality because as far as he was concerned, he had girlfriends left and right and dropped them like flies when he lost interest in them. He allowed Daz to kiss him because he thought maybe his friend was frightened for the next day and truth to be told, he didn’t entirely hate that. He was just surprised that Daz was swinging that way.  
  
Now that he thought about it, though, he couldn’t remember a single woman in Daz’s life. Eh. Was the guy in love with him or something? Not that it mattered, it didn’t change Crocodile’s position toward him in the least. As all of these thoughts assaulted him, Daz became a bit bolder and sat on his lap, kissing him again. He was sure good at it and before long, Crocodile’s breath was stolen from his very lips, his cheeks darkening at the lack of oxygen and the dripping need from Daz’s lips and tongue. “Wait... Daz…mmpf-” The sound was muffled with another demanding kiss and he felt his friend’s hand slide under his shirt, fingers discovering his swarthy skin with unprecedented desire. Crocodile, even at the age of 16, was used to being desired but he had never felt something so powerful before. Daz was completely overwhelming him with how he touched him, how his fingers glided along his skin. The older boy pinched his nipples and managed to elicit a moan from the back of Crocodile’s throat, leaving him feeling the heat that spread across the edge of his cheekbones. “D-Damn it,” Crocodile cursed under his breath and tried to push Daz away to take control again but the older boy got a hold of his wrists and pinned them to the wall behind. “I’m not scared,” Crocodile stopped moving upon hearing these words, eyes locked on Daz and breath heavy. “I saw you.” Shock tinted his every feature, the memory of Daz admitting to being a witness in his first murder flashing behind his eyelid. The skilled swordsman leaned to his neck, lips caressing the length of it. His shirt was soon discarded and Crocodile was dragged to the moss bed where Daz started to take care of him. First, his clothes were taken out of the way and soon, the older boy’s full lips were leaving a trail of worship upon his length, kisses, and licks of adoration leaving him shuddering and gasping. If anything, that cute little history teacher from back then had everything to envy to Daz’s skills and Crocodile, who wasn’t even sure yet if he was interested in Daz that way, abandoned himself to the pleasure. It was easy, Crocodile was a natural-born hedonist and he barely ever refused himself satisfaction.   
  
He felt his friend’s tongue caress the slit on his crown and saw Daz’s equally flushed cheeks, his fingers reaching to take hold of his skull and push him down further against his cock. It felt so damn good and for a moment, he thought he could get used to this. As he felt like he was about to come, Daz pulled away, leaving his twitching, pulsing cock alone in the cold air. “Why are you stopping?” He asked through heavy pants, eyes reopening just in time to see Daz taking his clothes off. In that moment, he thought the young man looked absolutely magnificent. His chiseled chest, the way the moonlight reflected on his abdomen, how hard he had gotten from giving him a blowjob- his everything was screaming out for Crocodile to do something.  
  
He was denied. As Crocodile reached a hand to pump Daz’s shaft, the boy pushed him away and started jerking his own length, eyes riveted to Crocodile. “Nn- That’s so unfair.” Sitting on the raven’s stomach, he ground his ass against Crocodile’s erection while simultaneously jerking himself. Crocodile’s hand moved to take hold of his hips and his fingernails buried into the hard skin, feeling Daz’s every muscle twitching underneath. Within minutes though, he felt Daz’s hand around the base of his cock and his crown pushing against Daz’s entrance. “But we don’t-” It might have been his first time with a man but Crocodile knew that without lube, this was going to be painful. For both of them. It didn’t seem to deter Daz, who licked his fingers and rubbed their wetness against his entrance, managing to get it slick enough to insert Crocodile’s glans inside. The tightness was incredible, leaving Crocodile holding onto Daz’s hips as if holding onto dear life but when the other tried to lower himself, both of them had to admit it was far too painful to continue. The lack of lubrication combined with the tightness made it nigh impossible to move and after a few more minutes of struggling, Crocodile’s erection eventually waned. Not like this kind of pain would help them achieve orgasm, after all. Deciding to finish with hand jobs, Crocodile and Daz got closer. Daz locked their hips together and took hold of both their shafts, his hand making slow, deliberate movements along their lengths. He jerked both of them slowly and brought them to completion, the two boys eventually falling on the moss bed, sweaty and satisfied.  
  
“ Well, if that’s your way to cope with stress, count me in, Daz-” He laughed and Daz followed suit, both of them falling asleep a little under 20 minutes later. They still needed to rest a bit for the big day, after all.  
  
The fated day assuredly came and all the boys made their way to the school for their final test, ready to receive their diplomas. One by one, they passed and got their diplomas, families and friends sitting in the audience and applauding every single one of the 76 boys that finished that year. At the end of the show, all of Crocodile’s crew and their captain were antsy to see the king on stage and sure enough, he was there. As he advanced toward the front, Crocodile’s eyes were riveted on him.   
  
The boy acted surprised as he was called to the stage, feigning that he had no idea what was happening. Looking over his shoulders, he saw Daz in the crowd with his parents and the rest of these boys that had sworn loyalty to him the night previous to that event. He hoped none of them were going to chicken out but they were all instructed to wait for his signal. As he climbed on stage, the king went on about how he had saved him, how great his grades were and how much this town needed a hero like him. He went as far as to say he had already surpassed his father and Crocodile’s golden gaze scanned the crowd until he found his father wiping a proud tear off the corner of his eyes, his mother’s smile wide and bright. He felt nothing but contempt.   
  
Then came four armed guards carrying a box with a beautiful golden design on it. This was it. His heart was pumping wildly in his chest and Crocodile already knew what was in that box but when the king asked him if he knew, he acted as if he had no idea.  
  
“Do you know what you’ll find when you open this, Sir Crocodile?” He had been called by his knightly names for a while already since he had saved the king. Even his father called him Sir at times but it was probably mostly out of pride.  
  
“I don’t, your highness.” Humbly, he bowed his head to his king, eyes glancing back to the crowd.  
  
“One day you came to me. You asked me if I was in possession of one of the earth’s most double-edged weapon, as the rumors as said. And I told you to seek strength within yourself and not within the devil. Today, I’m giving you this gift. Choosing for yourself whether or not to take this power. You’re already strong and I know you’ll put that strength to do good to our country. The enemies we have right now may not need such defense but come a day we do, I want us to be prepared. You should have it but the decision is yours.”  
  
“Yes, your highness.” Just give it to me already. Crocodile’s fist was so tight he was sure his knuckles were white. He had worked so hard toward that goal and now it was within reach but he couldn’t act rashly. The king had the box opened and Crocodile took the Suna Suna no Mi in his hand, his heart thrashing against his ribcage. This was it, this was IT! He had studied that fruit for the past couple months, already knew what this power was like, already KNEW what he had to do. Without much more of a hesitation, Crocodile started eating the fruit on the stage for all to see. The birth of a new hero for them all, though it was more the birth of a new monster. After finishing it, he felt nothing different but he knew it was the real deal. It took him a few more minutes before he could lift his hand and see his fingers turning to sand, the voice of the king explaining that he was a hammer very far away despite them being not even a meter apart. It was time. Without wasting a second, he turned toward the king and grabbed him by the throat, using his other hand to cut him with a Desert Sparda. It was the signal. Screams erupted from the crowd as blood splashed across the front row. The four guards that had brought the fruit were now rushing toward Crocodile to put a stop to this act of high treason.  
  
“DESERT SPARDA!” He launched the first attack toward them, the stage cut in half as panic seized the audience. That might have been a bit overpowered but to his defense, he didn’t know yet the strength of his new power. He watched in awe as the men before him fell like flies and when he turned his eyes to the crowd, he saw Daz had already taken care of a good portion of the guests and knights. His other men were wreaking havoc and the scene was painted red with the blood of the innocents but the most delightful painting was that of his father stunned and horrified at what was happening. Turning to sand, Crocodile reappeared in front of him and watched as his father uselessly tried to stab him, his mother screaming and crying at the same time. His hand wrapped around his father’s throat and a devious grin split his face. “I will live my life a free man, father. Thank you for this gift, kuhahahaha!” Dehydrating him but not to the point of killing him, Crocodile screamed at the top of his lungs for the rest of his crew that were still fighting off knights and royal guards. “TO THE DOCKS! We’re taking a ship!” To make sure his father wouldn’t be able to pursue him, Crocodile stabbed him in the stomach and threw his body toward his mother and brothers, feeling nothing but complete and utter victory washing over him. Technically speaking, he should have killed them but he didn’t see the point. They were all weak…and well, they were still family. He was sure the old man would survive that much, though it didn’t look so good for the king.  
  
Crocodile and his crew destroyed most of the town on their way to the docks, his new-found powers and destructive abilities making them unbeatable to the poor, unprepared soldiers. Within an hour, they managed to seize a ship and were taking off to the sea. “SET SAIL, BASTARDS! We’re going to be the freest men in the world!” Crocodile’s official life as a pirate begun with a bang and a massacre, already giving him a little bit of notoriety. Leaving nothing but bloodshed behind him, the young man set sail for the Grand Line from his small island in South Blue, ready to become the freest man in the world.


	8. Rookie

The first few months were tough, admittedly. Crocodile and his crew set sail on a ship with little to no food on and without anyone being a proper navigator. They avoided a tragedy more than once and lost a nakama within the first week of sailing lowering their number from 6 to 5. While Crocodile was mostly unaffected, he still showed some concern and tactical worry to see their number reduced. Fortunately, they made it to the next island and the next, and the one that followed up and the one that came after. After moving from island to island for a while, Crocodile thought that his reputation wasn’t worth anything yet so he started attacking marine and pirate ships at sea as to increase his bounty. 2 million belis was definitely not something that was worth talking about but when it finally climbed up to 5, he had enough to impress a few pirates at docks and get some more working hands on his ship. Pillages became more frequent though he always tried to avoid civilians as much as possible. He was mostly interested in stealing the goods from banks or other pirates as well as isolated marine ships and bases. With his power, these exploits were rather easy to execute and his notoriety finally grew with the size of his crew. If they were 6 in the beginning, they were now 27 aboard of the Deadly Siren.

One rather thunderous night, Crocodile and his men had invaded another pirate’s ship and decimated the crew. When they returned to their own after the battle, to count the treasures and celebrate their victory, a man opened up a chest only to find a devil fruit hidden in it. A fight broke up on the deck and Crocodile had to intervene, separating the two men that were ready to beat each other to a pulp to get the fruit. “What’s that about, you bastards! We won, why are you still fighting?” It’s only when he noticed the fruit that his brows knitted together, both hands shooting toward these guys to grab them by the throat. It was one of his favorite method of execution and these guys clearly underestimated his authority if they hadn’t reported the discovery of a fruit. Within seconds, their dehydrated body fell to the deck and a bulging vein throbbed on Crocodile’s forehead, his golden eyes scanning the onlookers who didn’t know how to react. “When you find something of that worth, you bring it to me, you notify me, you _do not_ fight for it. _I am the captain._ I am the one who gets to decide who gets that and it clearly isn’t any of these two--” Crocodile delivered a kick to the dried up men “assholes who thought they could just decide it with their fists. I don’t mind you splitting money but something of that worth _has to_ be reported over to me. I didn’t think it would be necessary to say. Someone clean the deck, _NOW._ ” Taking the chest with him, Crocodile gestured to  Daz and the original 3 that were still alive since their departure from their kingdom, to follow him to his cabin.

Once in his quarters, he closed the door, his lips once again stretching in a grin. After all, it was a glorious day and it wasn’t the death of two worthless pricks that was going to spoil it. “Who wants it?” None of them moved. With great power came great curses, right? The fact that none of them had a book on devil fruits on hand made it even worse- they had no idea what kind of power this devil fruit held. The thought of being a hammer also scared more than one of them. Surprisingly, after around a minute, Daz stepped forward. Crocodile’s brows knitted together. “I need you to be able to swim, Daz.” He was the only one he trusted with his life, of all his men. The only one he knew would jump if he were to fall. And yet…

“I need to be able to keep up with you.” If Daz intended to follow him to the end of the world, to achieve the dream of being the freest men then yes, he definitely needed that fruit. Crocodile weighed the pros and cons in his mind, deliberate gaze scanning across the length of his friend’s body. It’s not like he was afraid of drowning…. well not _that_ much or else he wouldn’t have eaten the fruit. He coveted power so he knew that if he wanted it, his best move would be to surround himself with powerful people. Since the other three refused to move forward, Crocodile slid the chest toward Daz. “Suit yourself. Don’t fall in the water.” And Daz to reply “I don’t intend to, Sir.” He left with the chest and Crocodile sent the men back to the deck for the party, wondering if he had just taken a good decision. Whenever he fell, Daz had always been there to save him but now, it would all be on him and the rest of his crew. Would he trust them enough to save his ass? Only time would tell. Or maybe, he could try to not fall anymore. That could work too.

Their travels continued and Crocodile soon learned of Daz’s fruit. He watched him in awe and helped him train and they even fought together. Since Crocodile was a logia, it’s not like Daz could hurt him but watching his blades get sharper, watching Daz getting better was making him incredibly proud. The big names of the south sea fell like flies under their power and Crocodile’s bounty elevated up to 60 millions within a couple more years. He met plenty of men and women and lived a life of debauchery, of violence but most of all, of freedom. His dreams started to design themselves but he wasn’t sure yet what it was that fueled him forward. He was on the sea, he was a pirate, he was powerful but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Something was missing in his life and he needed to know what it was. On a night they were taking down a small fleet, Crocodile stumbled upon a marine ship which held criminals in the brigs. Freeing them, he gave them the choice to either join him or drown at sea- The choice wasn’t too hard, admittedly. Most of them jumped on board but one reluctant woman stood up to him, anger distorting her traits. She was absolutely magnificent in all of her unrestrained fury. Her gray eyes and dark hair were nothing short of perfect, her aquiline nose and full lips gave her a uniqueness that was unmatched, the light dusting of freckles over that tanned skin made Crocodile want to lean down and kiss her. Absolutely stunning even if she looked at him like he was the last man she’d want to be closer to. She snarled about pirates being the worst and he moved closer, one of his palm capturing her cheek as his thumb stroked one of her defined cheekbones, a seductive grin stretching the corner of his lips. “It would be a shame to leave you to die here.” And without a word, snatched her from the ship before sinking it.

For a few days, she refused to eat, talk or even look at him. She liked to pretend she hadn’t heard him come over or even raise her head when he brought food. Crocodile didn’t give up. He didn’t know what kind of anger was burning inside the woman but he never thought he couldn’t tame it. On the fifth night, he went to her room and sat on the ground with a bottle of red wine and excellent food. “You must be hungry,” He started, bringing a piece of roasted fish to his lips as he stared at her. She was hiding her head on her forearm, avoiding his gaze. He guessed she had a history with pirates and not a good one at that but then again, she was also a criminal since she was locked in by the marines. “I’m not sure what’s your deal with pirates but are you really going to die because of a grudge? Is your life worth so little?” He _hated_ that kind of people. Those who didn’t know the value of life shouldn’t be allowed to live. Taking another bite of his food, Crocodile decided to move his plan forward. Lifting himself off the ground, he got his faithful flintlock from his hip and pressed it against her temple, the clicking noise of the security resonating in the room. “Should I kill you now, then? I did not save you for the sake of watching you die of hunger. I’m not the one who hurt you but I don’t mind fastening the process for you if you are so intent on dying. So, what is it? A bullet or a meal?”

She finally lifted her head and gritted her teeth, watching him as if he was the lowest of men. He didn’t care, his steely gaze still locked on her. “It would be a shame for you to die here.” Again, with these words. A smile stretched his lips and he waited patiently. Instead of reaching out for the cup, she moved to get a plate off the ground and ate with her fingers, devouring the food like the starved woman she was. It was a bit gross to watch but it’s not like he cared. He was glad she had made her choice. Putting the gun back in its holster, Crocodile sat back on the ground and drank his wine slowly, watchful gaze on the pretty lady. “You’ll be sick if you eat that fast.” She did not reply, shot him a glare and finished the meal. Her stomach was upset, visibly, with the way she put a hand over it and clenched it. 5 days without food and only water did that to a stomach but at least she had chosen to live. Of course, Crocodile was not so nice as to offer anything without wanting something in return- but the goal for this one needed a bit more patience. He had taken an interest in her, despite disliking her attitude toward life and death.

Lifting himself off the ground, he walked out of the room and returned minutes later with some bread and water, as to make sure she won’t vomit what she had managed to put under her teeth. “My name is Crocodile. We’re not going ashore for a while and I don’t particularly like people who don’t pull their weight on my ship. You may rest tonight but tomorrow, I expect you to get to work, just like anyone else.” As he was about to leave, he finally heard her voice for the first time- well, not a snarled voice at least. This time she wasn’t screaming about how pirates were awful. “Why!? Why did you save me, I did not ask for your help!” Crocodile stopped, one hand going to rest on the door’s frame. “Felt like it.” And left, closing the door behind him. There was no reason behind that, right? Or at least, none that he wanted to explore just yet. She was gorgeous and he wanted to know more but it’s not like he was going to pretend he knew what went on in his mind beyond that. He had always been instinctive and this episode was no different.

Days passed and became weeks. Crocodile gave her little to no attention besides a smile here and there and a lingering gaze when she sweated herself off to work. She pulled her weight, alright. She worked just like he had asked of her and he had to admit, she integrated the crew better than he expected, considering the spiel about pirates being the worst. After around two months on the ship, Crocodile started getting closer to her again. Now that she wasn’t as furious about her fate as previously, he could easily talk with her. Here and there, they dined and drank together and while the seduction game was on, she always declined and ended up subtly but expertly managing her way out of a discussion. Fortunately, Crocodile was a persistent man so one night, after many spent talking, their relationship reached a climax he hadn’t expected. With more than one cup of wine behind her, Maura finally pulled a move on him. She had been a tough nut to crack but the reward was worth the candle. Crocodile’s lips met hers and he could taste the freshness of her tongue through the subtle oak and cocoa aroma of the wine. He felt the edge of his cheekbone tint red and his hands instinctively reached to her neck, thumbs stroking the length of her jawbone as he pulled her closer so she could sit on his lap. One hand released her slender neck and drifted down the length of her arm delicately, his nails grazing the skin to raise goosebumps on her. He felt her shuddering and finally slid a hand to the small of her back. At this point, there were no restraints left in him. One of his hand gripped at the back of her head, fingers tangling in wild dark chocolate locks while the other one moved up and down her side, from her thigh to her chest. Slowly, he pulled her even closer, a strong grip holding her hip as he ground up against her.

The _noise_ she made had his head spinning and in a moment of passion, he couldn’t help himself. Rising from his seat, he shoved everything off the table. Plates, wine, bottles, everything and pinned her down on it, his heart hammering in his chest. He claiming her lips passionately again and even his hair looked like a mess as it tickled her cheek. He pulled away and locked both of their foreheads together, his steely gaze distressed as it found her dark orbs. “If you don’t stop me now, Maura, I’m not answering of what’s coming next.” She replied with a kiss that was just as insistent and Crocodile lost himself in desire. He felt heat tightening around his heart, surrounding it with a blanket of fire that fueled his every gesture. His fingers returned to her face as he held her firmly and kissed her, tongue claiming dominance and dancing sensually with her own. One hand moved to her throat and he realized how much smaller than him she was. His entire palm was enough to cover the thickness of her neck and he could touch almost her entire collarbone with a single hand. His lips pulled in a genuine smile and his eyes laughed for him, his fingers dancing their way to her chest before finally tearing open her shirt slowly. He could see her chest rise and fall as excitation grew in her and the sight of her biting her lip had Crocodile feeling _bliss_ rushing through his veins. As soon as her generous breasts were revealed, he brought his lips to her chest and covered it in kisses, soft bites, and flickers of his tongue against her nipples. He saw her stomach undulate as she danced and reached for her skirt, pulling it down herself. His knee went up but he knew he couldn’t climb that table without them breaking it so instead, he grabbed her bridal style and carried her to bed. Throwing her on it, he was quick to get back on top of her, his broad shoulders stiffening as he felt her hand on his belt. “I’ve wanted this for so long but I didn’t want to rush you- thought it would be worth it to _wait._ ” Maura smiled, one soft hand reaching up to his cheek. “Crocodile, shut up please” She chuckled and he smiled brightly, her delicate hand finally finding its way inside his pants. She grabbed his sex and started kneading it, fingers teasing the length and thumb stroking over the slit on his crown. A low, visceral groan escaped him and Crocodile rocked his hips so his sex would rub against her palm. It didn’t take too much for her to get him hard. As a young man in his prime, full of desires, Crocodile was nothing short of starving for her. He had been for a while and had even _softened_ up a little as to not scare her. He would normally be a lot more aggressive but she had him wrapped around her fingers. That smile of hers was beautiful enough to melt an ice cap and the hearts of the hardest of men. She was as bright as the sun, as knowledgeable as an encyclopedia. The way she talked to him in confidence, the way she had evolved from utter disdain to this situation—he knew it already. From day one, he _knew_ that he had fallen for that woman. And now, with her fingers pumping him and her lips against his, Crocodile thought he wanted to make her _his queen._

 He pulled away from her, chest feeling like it might just rip open because of how _full_ he felt. Full of the love he had for her and the desire for both of their future. His ambitions hadn’t changed, they just evolved and what thing he felt he missed was now _complete._ Looking down at her bare body beneath him, Crocodile finally took off his own clothes, revealing an almost scarless skin beside the one on his thigh, nicely provided by Sorgi when he was a child. He did have a scar here and there but after gaining that logia ability, it’s not like he had been hurt often. He did know about haki but he had never seen anyone using it yet. Once bare before her, Crocodile leaned down and embraced her. His lips captured hers but instead of claiming dominance as they usually would, he was passionate, devouringly so. Her eyes widened for a moment but Maura’s cheeks ended up burning so much even he could feel the heat radiate through her skin. He held her head in his hands as he pushed inside her, his mouth seeking the pulse on her neck as he breathed in her scent adoringly. Sliding a hand between their bodies, he used a single digit to stroke her clit faster than he penetrated her, using the contrast to please her further. She was so tight, so wet, so welcoming and he found solace in her body. He knew at this point that he had found the one. Not because of how they touched each other but because of how _she_ had touched him, touched his heart and soul. His body vibrated to the sound of her exhales, his heart tightening as she gasped his name. He wanted more, greedily, hungrily, egoistically. He wanted everything off her and he claimed every inch of her body that night and for as long as he could. She was going to be his as much as he was going to be hers.


	9. The pirate king's death

Months passed and Crocodile multiplied the fights, the threat level of his preys and his bounty kept increasing to the point it finally broke the 50 millions barrier. He was still with Maura and while she wasn’t too happy about his brutality, she still celebrated with him each time his bounty increased. At some point, he even decided that the day he crossed the hundred million, he was going to ask her hand. Being as impulsive as ever, Crocodile went and bought a ring for her and a ring for himself. He knew she had no money to buy him one and besides, he liked his fancy rings. The only finger he had yet to put a ring on was the ring finger but the thought of it finally getting one had his heart skipping a beat. He hoped he still had a few months so he wasn’t too worried about finding the best way to propose.

A couple more months passed and each night was more precious than the other by his woman’s side. Crocodile opened up like he never did before and talked about his dreams with her. Not even Daz, his faithful right hand, had had the same courtesy despite sharing many years with him. Surprisingly, she did not judge him. He remembered how she used to be toward pirates when they first met and found himself staring at her adoringly; the fact that she had gone and forgotten about her hatred of pirates for him…and even encouraged him to become the king… It made him feel all warm and fuzzy. Yeah, he was in love, yes, he had a weakness with her but she was strong. Stronger than he thought she was when he first laid his eyes on her. She might not have had a devil fruit but she knew how to protect herself in a way that he didn’t have to worry about her when they raided other ships. They’d never discussed whether or not she identified as a pirate but he could feel her resonate with him.

As he got closer to the end of the Grand Line, Crocodile ended up the target of a raid. A guy named Captain ‘The Herbalist’ Maddock, worth over a 100 million belis. In that fight, he lost half of his crew but managed by a hair breadth to survive the fight and defeat him. He was also fortunate enough that his lover managed to remain mostly unharmed. This man could grow plants left and right and some of them spat venoms. Maddock even used armament haki! While Crocodile knew of that power and was starting to learn it himself, he had yet to meet anyone who could use it fully. Crocodile could use observation haki pretty well since he had always been rather perceptive and knew how to read people but armament haki was still a work in progress on his side. If Crocodile hadn’t had a wonderful doctor, he would have probably lost even more men than that and maybe even Maura, who had been splashed with a rather imposing dose of venom. His bounty grew up again and went past 80 millions. His excitement couldn’t be contained anymore and he talked about the New World and his desire to finally get to that famous sea so he could pursue Raftel. Within a couple of weeks,  Crocodile received a letter from the World Government, offering him a seat as one of the Seven Warlords of the sea. At the age of 24, Crocodile then became one of the shichibukai, alongside big names like Dracule Mihawk who fought on par with Red Hair and the legendary Bartholomew Kuma, The Tyrant. His ego inflated even if his bounty stopped at that and he celebrated that victory for a whole week before finally reaching the outpost where he was supposed to claim his title.

Meanwhile, another shockwave hit the world. Roger, who had been captured recently, was set to be executed. It wasn’t that he really wanted to see the guy dead or anything but there was something _magical_ about the fact that he lived to see the end of an era. He was going to make sure he assisted to the scene if only to imprint it to memory. Once everything was settled with the navy, he sailed back toward Loguetown, arriving a few days before the men’s execution. Standing in the crowd and hearing Roger shout at the top of his lungs, Crocodile found himself growing excited. His lust for power increased upon hearing the truth about One Piece and he felt consumed by his desires. The New World. He was going there and he was going to find Raftel, but not before making a ruckus and destroying everyone who would get in his way. He was going to leave a trail of blood in his wake and claim the crown at the end of the line, making himself the _pirate king._ It really had a nice ring to it; for Sir Crocodile to become a king, for a _knight_ to elevate to royal status. It was his _destiny._ He wasn’t  born for a cheap fate and so at the end of the day, filled with hopes, dreams and desires, he returned to his crew to tell the great news. They were going to the New World. Roger’s treasure was waiting for _them._

“It’s time,” He said, lips pulling into a grin as he stared at his crew. Some of the men had been with him for over 5 years, Daz already up to a decade. He was the only one who kept a straight face as the excited captain added a few words. “We’re going to the NEW WORLD.”

Everyone cheered but Maura, her body tensing up visibly and her eyes widening. Even if she had encouraged him, she _knew_ of the dangers ahead, having been in the New World herself. Unfortunately, it was one of the many things she had kept hidden from Sir Crocodile. When he questioned her anxiousness, she didn’t say a word, pretending she was only afraid because she didn’t want to lose him. Which might have been true to some extent. She had promised to follow him and follow him she would but it didn’t mean she wouldn,t worry. Maura didn’t know for sure that his path wouldn’t be as glorious as he expected or as easy as he thought it would be but Crocodile was strong so she believed in him. She wanted to believe in him. The reason why she had fallen for the man to begin with was because of how ambitious he was, how he embodied freedom and how strong he was, both physically and mentally. She felt safe by his sides…but the monsters on that great ocean were all _much more terrifying_ than he could be reassuring.

Crocodile slept like a log while Maura gnawed all of her nails off, silently praying for smooth sailing.


	10. Recklessness

The storms were raging fiercely, rocking the boat as the waves only kept growing on the horizon. Crocodile gave order left and right and Maura navigated between tightening the sails and helping those who fell on the deck. It was the kind of night where sailors tried their damn best to avoid casualties but ultimately, it was the ocean who decided whether or not a member would be ripped from the crew. As the night went on, Crocodile tried to do a headcount but could never manage to get the same number each time. Sometimes one was missing, sometimes there were two but he was pretty sure someone had fallen for sure. The waves kept crashing on the ship, threatening to flip it at a moment’s notice. Finally, after hours of struggles, they reached a calm zone where the sky was clear and the stars were shining up above. Crocodile called everyone on the deck and could finally do a headcount and he was glad to see that everyone had survived the tempest.

“An island! There’s an island!” Maura checked her log pose and stared at the man in the crow’s nest. Were they already in Sabaody? They had left Loguetown a few months ago so it would be plausible. Men rejoiced on the deck and Crocodile ordered rum to be brought from the brigs. As they partied, they got closer to the island and moved from grove to grove until they found the perfect spot to anchor their ships. Being knowledgeable about how to get to the New World, Crocodile started looking around for a guy who would coat their ship and in whom he could put his trust. It wasn’t an easy task for him to trust people but he managed to find one guy who told them it would take about two weeks to complete.

It took nothing less than 22 days for the coating expert to do his job but Crocodile preferred that to throwing caution to the wind. At least that way, he was sure the hefty price he had paid would be worth the wait. With that in mind, Crocodile rounded his men up after 22 consecutive days of partying. Even Maura got on the ship, despite showing signs of nervousness.

“Crocodile, are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, we could wait a few years, train your haki a bit more and you know, master your devil fruit before going there?” She inquired, looking positively terrified. Both of Crocodile’s hands reached to her face and cup her cheeks, thumbs stroking the bone affectionately.

“Everything will be fine, trust me.” His deep voice calmed her down and she pressed both of her hands against his as she looked up at him.

“I trust you, it’s just…” Worrying at her lip, she lowered her gaze. “I’ve seen it, the New World. There are monsters.”

“There are monsters everywhere.” He kissed her forehead before leading her to the ship, ready to set sail for Fishman Island.

Days later, they reached their destination and spent a couple nights partying and celebrating their big entrance in the New World. Maura and Crocodile used most of their time to go shopping, have sex and relax. Sometimes when he was alone, he played with the ring he bought her, wondering if he should give it to her sooner… but he was still waiting on that famous 100 million bounty to be printed out.

Some time after leaving Fishman Island, Crocodile found his ship engaged in a fierce battle at sea. The rival ship claimed to be working under a division of the infamous Edward Newgate and Crocodile scoffed in their face as they asked him to surrender and join his crew. As if he would ever accept to be someone else’s subordinates. The fight lasted 48 hours where his men and himself exerted themselves trying to take down Fossa. Crocodile clashed with the swordsman for a few hours, the other’s haki preventing him from ending this fight too quickly.  It’s a streak of luck that Crocodile managed to slash his forehead and cut him across the face. He won the fight by a hair breadth, most of his men heavily wounded or already discarded to the sea. Despite emerging victorious, Crocodile was warned by his opponents about the wrath of the Yonko. Not because he refused to join but because he dared to pick a fight with them. Panting, exhausted, covered in blood, Crocodile’s smirk broadened.

“Bring it on! I don’t fear the old man! I’ll take his head, just you wait!” And with that, he had pretty much sealed his fate. He and his men spent the next few days recovering and the angst on the ship grew a bit more every day. While a lot of these men said they were loyal to Crocodile, the fear of Whitebeard’s retribution was definitely growing whispers among the crew. A mutiny brewed aboard his ship without his knowledge but Maura knew what this was about even before it was declared. After around 12 days of sailing, the revolt was declared and Crocodile had to part ways with half of his men in a rather crude way- he had to kill them for insubordination.

“Those of you who want to leave are free to do so. Feel free to throw yourself at sea and swim your way back to shore like the cowards that you are.” He was pissed off, rightfully so. He had lost all trust in his crew because even if a few did not rebel, they still didn’t try to warn him, which meant that they were _cowardly enough_ to not even pick a side in that fight so they could wait to see who would be the victor. If they did not trust in him, why would he trust them?

Slamming his fist against the wall, he had a rather heated discussion with Maura that night, with ended up with him sleeping on his office’s couch. She, too, was worried about Whitebeard. “Will somebody here have a little faith in me?” He snarled at her and for the first time in a while, did not play with the rings in that evening. Of all the men on his ship, only one remained silent during his outburst but dared to keep his gaze locked within Crocodile’s. Daz. He had been there for so long but even he knew that pissing off an emperor might not have been the best idea Crocodile had. This was a bigger bite than he could chew, at the moment. He should have just declined the offer and went on his way instead of picking a fight but his stubbornness, his pride and desire to break the 100 million barrier so he could marry Maura had blinded him.

It took a few more days before Whitebeard finally showed up.


	11. Heaven's fall

 “So that’s the brat who took down Fossa and harmed my son.” Newgate’s booming voice resonated and Crocodile’s lips curled in distaste. In the past few days, he had invested in buying some kairoseki, thinking that the only way he could possibly beat Whitebeard was to deprive him of his powers. With the help of his shooter, he managed to shoot a pair of cuffs around the old man’s wrist, convinced that victory was his. What was left of his men engaged Whitebeard’s in a fight and Daz fought against Vista while he went for Whitebeard’s head.

“Do you really think that’s going to be enough to stop me, gurararara? A brat like you still HAS SO MUCH TO LEARN!” Using haki, Whitebeard’s fist crashed against the side of Crocodile’s face, forcing him to the ground in a second. He barely had the time to reflect on how fast the old man was that another punch was raining down on him, making blood erupt from his lips. Powerless before the assault Crocodile was facing, Maura screamed from the sandman’s deck. Whitebeard gave her a glance and used his blade to cut Crocodile’s face in half.

Defeated. It didn’t even take him more than 20 minutes and Crocodile was already half dead. Mercilessly, Whitebeard threw him as far away on the sea as possible, only to have Daz throwing himself into the water to retrieve his captain. Crocodile’s ship was left a wreck that could barely keep it together on the sea and most of his men took the opportunity to flee, leaving only Daz and Maura to take care of him. In no way was she trained to be a medic but she knew how to do stitches and clean a wound. With the help of Daz, she managed to keep him pinned down long enough to stitch his face back together but it would obviously leave a gnarly scar. Tears leaked from her eyes as she worked for hours, pulling what was left of his skin together so she could patch his face. Without any medic on board, there was no telling if he would survive as well. They had no choice, they had to get to the nearest island to have him fixed by a real doctor. It took a few more days before they finally reached one and got help but the damage had already been done. Crocodile’s handsome face would never be the same again.

When he woke up, pain shot up from his temples to his toes, making him shudder like a leaf. He felt feverish as his system fought with the antibiotics and he could barely open his eyes with how swollen they had become.  It was a miracle that he was still alive. Maura was holding his hand, eyes puffy as if she had spent the past few days crying. There was no news from the world Government about his position in the Shichibukai either, which meant he still held his position. Still, his adventure in the New World abruptly came to an end and it’s a disillusioned Crocodile that woke up in this nightmare.

“We’re going back to Paradise. Where is my crew?” He asked her when he was finally able to talk again. Relief washed over her as he answered her. She had asked what he was going to do, what they were going to do and Crocodile finally replied instead of staying completely mute. His face was getting better too, though the scar needed to be disinfected regularly.

“Gone. They’re all gone.” She whispered, leaning her head against his chest. Loosely, he wrapped an arm around her and kissed on top of her head. She was beautiful but the ache in his heart couldn’t be quelled by her beauty. He had fallen from the throne he hadn’t even acquired.

“What about Daz?” He couldn’t believe everyone was gone. There was no way that Daz decided to leave like that, without at least saying goodbye. For the first time, he really started to feel like he’d lost everything.

“He’s the only one that stayed.” A sigh escaped Crocodile’s lips. Finally, some relief.

“Tell him we’re going back.” The spark was gone from his eyes but Crocodile tried to hang on- at least, he still had Maura and Daz.


	12. Back to Paradise

The voyage back to Paradise wasn’t easy either. The waters were unforgiving and they still had to find someone to coat their ship so they could get through Fishman Island again. Crocodile grew more and more depressed each day, his belligerent attitude only becoming worse as time passed. Even with Maura, he was growing snappy. Even with Daz, he had little to no patience. There was constantly a vein bulging on his forehead and he kept thinking of what he was going to do with his life. Maybe he could just do what Maura said and return when he was ready but he could already tell that his haki was a lot weaker than it used to be. Having lost part of his willpower when he was defeated, he needed a new source of motivation. Maybe he could marry Maura but part of him was too disappointed and ashamed to ask her hand right now.

On a night he was alone with Daz because Maura was passed out in another room, he sat down with his old friend and spilled his heart out. The man listened without blinking and without judgment. He waited until Crocodile was done to tell him what he thought of that situation; Daz thought that he had been reckless but that he shouldn’t be giving up on his dream. He believed in Crocodile and said that he knew he would become the pirate king, but he still needed some time to train before going back in the New World. Leaning to him, Daz pressed his lips to the corner of Crocodile’s lips, which had the man’s eyes widening in surprise. It wasn’t like it was the first time Daz flirted with him but it was the first time since Crocodile had gotten with Maura.

“What do you think you are doing, Daz?” No answers came from the silver haired male as he simply locked his steely gaze into Crocodile’s. “I’m with Maura, you know that.” Crocodile added snappily, lifting himself from his seat.

“You’re making a mistake.” Crocodile’s brows quirked as he stared at Daz, wondering what he was talking about. Was Daz referring to Maura or maybe, to the rings? Either way, it was none of his business. Crocodile didn’t think twice about warning him and he glared at him venomously. How dare Daz talk about Maura like that? He was speaking to him as if she was ever going to abandon him. She loved him so Daz was _wrong._ Maura was here to stay and Crocodile could feel it, could feel _her_ in his very soul, vibrating in unison with him. He had never been so sure of something in his life as he was sure that she had been made for him.

“Maura is the only good thing that ever happened to me and she saved my life, too. Watch your words when you talk about her, Daz.” No more was added from either side. Daz looked hurt for about half a second before his gaze became like steel again and for the next few weeks, they sailed smoothly. After searching for a while, they eventually came across some people who told them there was a coating expert on a nearby island.

Unfortunately, Crocodile wouldn’t have the time to make it there before meeting his second monster in the New World.


	13. You will join me

“There he is! The man who fought the strongest man in the world and survived, fufufu!” That voice grated his nerves more than anything but Crocodile couldn’t tell yet if the blond was threatening him or if he was actually legitimately impressed that he had survived Whitebeard. The scar across his face was proof enough that it hadn’t been his victory but the flashy, extravagant guy seemed to think otherwise. He gesticulated artfully, his fingers creating masterpieces as he twirled them in the air and restrained both Daz and Maura with his strings. Crocodile’s brows knitted together and he gritted his teeth, trying his best not to send a sparda his way- Maura’s life was in danger and he was not willing to put her at risk. Besides, he had no idea who this asshole was and what he wanted with him. “You sure have guts, trying to take down a yonko. I also heard you were a shichibukai, _Sir Crocodile._ ” Crocodile’s gaze narrowed even further and the bird-like predator jumped on his deck and walked toward him, his lips stretched in what could only be described as the devil’s grin.

He did not like that man one bit. He didn’t even need to know his name to already be irritated by his presence and wanting him off his ship. “Release them. If you came to talk, there’s no need to threaten my subordinates.” Showing any signs of attachment to them was a weakness and he didn’t feel like making that guy believe he had any leverage over him. If he wanted to save Maura’s life, he needed to pretend like it didn’t matter in the first place. A chuckle escaped the other man and his strings tightened, making Maura scream and Crocodile’s eyes widening as her name escaped his lips.

“Subordinate, huh? Fufufuf, you’re a terrible liar, Croc-bastard.” Crocodile felt his ire turning his blood black, anger boiling the fluid within his veins to unbearable heat. Never in his life had he felt so angry and terrified all at once, and the worst was that it wasn’t even for himself. “What do you want? Who even are you, bastard? State your business and _leave._ ”

“Don’t be like that.” Crocodile hated the fact that he couldn’t look behind those glasses and even more the fact that Maura and Daz were being held hostage. Moving a little closer, the blonde tried to reach his fingers to Crocodile’s scar but Crocodile slapped his hand away with a snarl. “Do not _touch_ me.”

The other’s grin finally faltered a little, only for Crocodile to feel a string wrap around his wrist. He instinctively turned to sand and reappeared behind him, a knife locked against his throat. “Donquixote Doflamingo. And what I want? I want you.” This could not have been more confusing for Crocodile than the words escaping Doflamingo. Did he really want him? For what reason? Did he have a history with him for some reason? The tip of Crocodile’s blade pressed against Doflamingo’s porcelain skin and the other’s grin broadened even more as Maura screamed even louder. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, fufufufu.”

Crocodile’s hand trembled. “What do you mean, you want me?” His voice was as dry as sand, as cutting as the blade he kept at Doflamingo’s neck.

“I want you to join my family. You see, I have ambition and I need people like _you._ Your position as a shichibukai is also relevant to my interests and needs so what do you say Crocodile? Join my family and you’ll never have to worry about a thing.” The blond said with confidence and Crocodile could not believe the audacity. Pulling his blade away, his sneer only deepened as he hovered back in front of Doflamingo and smirked. This guy wanted him as a subordinate? As an ally? As if Crocodile would trust a pirate with that and as _if_ he would consider working for anyone.

“You clearly don’t know me. I’d never work for anyone, let alone a flashy bastard who thinks that by threatening my subordinates, he can get anything out of me. Pack your stuff string man. You’re not needed here. Me, not worrying about a thing? Kuhahaha, don’t make me laugh. Get out of here, now before you really make me angry.” Clearly, that guy was nuts. He might have an interesting power but if he truly wanted him to join, he wasn’t going to hurt Maura or Daz. Doflamingo seemed to think for a moment and eventually let Maura and Daz down, only to focus his attention back on Crocodile. The sky rumbled and the sound of thunder soon accompanied the dark, angry clouds over their heads. The clouds couldn’t have taken the worst moment to decide to rain down on them.

“I think you misunderstand something here. You are the one who shouldn’t be making me angry.” All humor had vanished from the blonde’s face. Apparently, this guy had a thing with being refused. Strings erupted from the paramecia and Crocodile turned to sand, dashed to Maura in hope of protecting her but it was already too late. He saw blood and he saw her fall as Daz was sent toward the cabins at impressive speed. The poor man passed through the wood and was sent at sea. In a flash, everything he believed in was gone, everything he had left was falling apart. Turning to sand again, he rushed toward Doflamingo, snarling his name as he threw a sparda toward him. He could hear the wood of his deck being broken, could hear the sound it made as his ship was wrecked even more than it already was. He fought with everything he had but couldn’t even manage to get a solid hit on Doflamingo. His mind moved between Maura and Daz, Doflamingo and his own pain. He couldn’t pinpoint what was the worst out of this encounter but Maura’s smile flashed behind his eyelids each time he dared to blink. Had he become so weak that he couldn’t even _protect anything right?_ Had he really lost her? Blood soon covered his vision as the stitches on his face threatened to reopen. A strong wave of Haki sent a chill rushing down his spine and cold seeped into his bones, freezing him in place- and then he realized. It wasn’t the haki that kept him in place, but Doflamingo, with his strings. Struggling like crazy, he tried to turn to sand but he couldn’t. The rain kept him wet enough for Doflamingo to wrap his strings around him.

“Doflamingo! I WILL KILL YOU!” The blonde erupted in a fit of laughter and lifted Crocodile’s left hand above his head. “Oi oi oi oi! I was nice enough to ask you to be my right hand, to join me and this is how you repay my kindness?” Crocodile felt the pressure around his wrist intensifying and the sensation of having his hand pulled upward with crushing weight had him snarling in pain. What was the other doing? Was he … going to rip his hand away?

Another string wrapped around the middle of his forearm and started pulling as well as cutting into his flesh. Blood seeped from the wound and stained his coat, the sliced piece of fabric falling off to the ground with a squelching thud. Crocodile sealed his lips in a thin line and bit the inside of his cheek, feeling both the rain and blood falling from his cheeks as well as the disgusting sticky feeling of blood dripping down the length of his arm. The more Doflamingo pulled on his limb, the more pain he felt. At first, it was only the skin breaking, then he felt it; the tendon, the nerves, the veins, the muscles and the bones. It took 6 minutes of pure agony before the last nerve holding up finally tore and the limb was removed from his body. Crocodile couldn’t hold back the screams as he felt blood erupt from his torn flesh, his consciousness wavering.

“Some day, if you survive this, I’ll be offering you again and you _will_ join me.” Crocodile passed out as he was thrown on the deck but the last thing he heard was the sound of cannonballs as they blew away his ship and sent him to the sea. His vision darkened at the edge before he finally passed out and accepted the sweet embrace of death.


	14. There's blood on the sand

“That was too close!”

Worry tinged Inazuma’s voice as he rushed from their hideout to the open ocean, looking to see what exactly had caused their walls to tremble. The sound of a not-so-distant explosion still reverberating against his eardrums as his heartbeat increased. Already, on the horizon, he could see the flagship of a well-known rookie called Donquixote Doflamingo. Tales of his _prowess_ and his growing reputation were already spreading through the Grand Line. The man participated in various activities, showing his versatility to the whole world by looting, making over the top business deals and collecting bounties. His success was ever growing and he was now qualified as an unstoppable force within the blackest market on the Grand Line. Nothing was out of his reach. Resell of Devil Fruits, Human trafficking…but the scariest part was the fact that he was building a crew made of some really powerful individuals. The very sight of this ship sent shudders of distaste down Inazuma’s spine and the fire of a ship wreckage on the horizon left no doubt in his mind that someone had paid the price for this man’s notoriety spread. 

As Inazuma finally reached the beach, he saw blood stains and the signs of distinct _crawling_ toward the forest. Did someone survive the attack? Not taking the time to think twice, Inazuma and a bunch of revolutionary soldiers followed these trails and eventually found an unconscious man lying face first on the ground with nothing more than a cheaply done bandage on what looked like a missing left land. At his side, a woman who was barely conscious and visibly extenuated. She had something lodged in her shoulder and had lost a lot of blood but the way her lips were becoming blue was rather worrying. “Save him, please. Save him, I beg you.” Maura begged with a shuddering voice, the light in her eyes flickering. The very sight of the blood-soaked rag had Inazuma hold his breath and with how battered the body looked, he couldn’t tell yet who it was. Within minutes, they had the survivors carried back to the revolutionary’s hideout for treatment. It didn’t take long to realize who it was, after cleaning his face and noticing the now infamous scar of the royal shichibukai, Sir Crocodile. While his defeat at the hands of Whitebeard had been mostly camouflaged by the government, everyone on the sea who was alive and had an information network knew about it. The news traveled fast in the New World and Crocodile, being a warlord, was, unfortunately, famous enough to not escape the paparazzi. Inazuma’s first reaction was to be expected; he yelled at the medics to stop the treatment only to be interrupted by a freshly arrived Dragon.

“Save his life.” The revolutionary gave the order, his eyes locked on Crocodile’s battered body.

“Dragon, this man is a shichibukai. Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Inazuma hastily replied, displeased and fearful of Dragon’s choice.

The revolutionary leader’s lips stretched in a grin and from the shadows behind him, Emporio Ivankov appeared and towered over the man on the medical table. Forced in a stable coma for the operation, Crocodile remained blissfully unaware that his life was about to be …both saved and jeopardized.

“Save his life. It doesn’t hurt to have a man on the inside and he might just be the key we were waiting for to get a little closer to the marine headquarters. Ivankov, you know what to do.”

“I don’t approve of that, Dragon. Ve vill save his life but ve vill also make sure he von’t be a threat!”

Dragon’s eyes shone maliciously and he moved aside to let Ivankov go to the edge of the table, by Crocodile’s side.

“I’ll be counting on you, my friend.”

“I hope ve von’t be regretting that! It’s starting YEEEHAW!”

As Dragon left the room, Ivankov’s outstretched claws pierced through Crocodile’s chest and he sent a powerful wave of adrenaline hormones throughout the sandman’s body. Crocodile woke up and an inhuman scream tore through the atmosphere, his eyes wide before he fell back, unconscious. The warlord had lost a lot of blood and wouldn’t make it through the next few operations if his heart couldn’t handle it. There was still a fifty percent chance he might not survive but considering how built and sturdy the man looked, Ivankov was confident that they would have him saved within hours; what terrible few hours would that be, though.

Crocodile’s mind kept wavering in and out of consciousness; the adrenaline shot fighting the general anesthetic he had been given prior to the operation. His vision was blurred like a drunk man whenever he opened his eyes, the only sight he could get the long lashes of Ivankov as the okama queen dealt with him and operated. The rag on his missing left hand had long been taken away, the wound cleaned, the tendons and bones sawed for better healing and the gash stitched shut for a neater stump. This was definitely the worst that had been done to Crocodile during a fight. If Whitebeard wanted to teach him a lesson by scarring up the head he had allowed to inflate with his successes, Doflamingo had taken away his left hand…as a way to mock the fact that he refused to be his right hand in business.  The sadism exuding from this fight was evident for all witnesses of this operation as they also saw the impressive number of wounds littering the sandman’s body. The hand hadn’t been taken away nicely either; it didn’t look like a clean cut. It looked the same as if someone had broken every bone and tendon and then _pulled_ until the limb ripped away from the arm. The broken bones at the elbow and around implied that a crushing weight had been applied there, probably to keep the man grounded. Was Doflamingo really so powerful that he could take out a logia with such ease? And a shichibukai, for all that matters? He was definitely a man to keep an eye on if that was the truth.

After finally saving Crocodile’s life from blood loss and fixing up the internal damages, Ivankov’s eyes narrowed. Hesitation seemed to stop him with the next part of the operation but he nonetheless reached for the razor and shaved Crocodile’s head. He then cleaned his head, took the scalpel and did an acute incision on Crocodile’s skin, just above the left ear. At this point, after already a few hours under anesthetic, they started wearing off but it was exactly what Ivankov wanted. The _patient_ needed to be awake for the next part or else, this wouldn’t function and Crocodile would die. Awake was a bit of a big word, he needed to keep him in a state where he was conscious so his heart rate would be good but not exactly conscious enough to understand what was happening. This delicate operation aimed to give Crocodile a reason to be loyal to them but it had its lot of risks. It could leave him in a vegetative state or worst, kill him. Not that the okama really cared what happened to _Croco-boy_ but he nonetheless wanted to do as his leader had instructed him. Dragon wanted an inside man and he saw a great opportunity within Crocodile and while Ivankov did not believe in it, he believed in his boss.

Once the incision was done, the tricky part came. Ivankov had to remove the front part of the skull and lift the frontal lobe of the brain to expose the delicate neck of the pituitary gland. By removing this gland that produces most hormones, Ivankov would assure Crocodile’s loyalty; he would need a _hormonal treatment_ to deal with the after effects of such an operation. Of course, he could always _deal with it on his own_ and find a doctor to give him prescriptions...but this new problem would forever make him vulnerable to hormones attacks by Ivankov.  The okama would, from now on, be one of his _weaknesses,_ side by side with liquids and sea stone, more so than he would be for anyone else. If Ivankov’s powers were frightening, he could rarely kill with them. In Crocodile’s case, he could definitely stop him if he ever threatened the revolutionary army.

The front lobe was removed temporarily by Inazuma’s skillful finger sand a hairy nurse came to clean Emporio’s forehead from its layer of sweat. The scalpel cut through the matter and separated the gland with ease. The operation was a success and Ivankov saw Crocodile open his eyes and gaze lazily at him.

“Don’t vorry Croco-boy, everything vent vell!”

His tone was incredibly cheery for someone who had spinal fluids and blood on his gauntlet cladded fingers. After a few seconds, Ivankov fixed the brain back together and patched the skull back where it belonged before shooting him with a sleep-inducing hormone so his body could wake up _normally._ Ivankov and Inazuma bent over sleeping Crocodile, both of them adorning a rather somber look despite the success of the operation.

“And now ve vait.”


	15. Ohara is destroyed

Cold sweat dripped down the length of his back as Crocodile stared at his stump. For a while, he even ignored Maura’s presence by his sides, the phantom pains in his missing left hand stealing all of his focus. He could still feel himself flexing his fingers but they were gone. His eyes watered and he growled as he lowered himself over his missing limb, his right hand’s fingernails drawing crescents over the patch covering his stump. The noise was guttural and a world of agony mixed within that pain-filled growl. Maura couldn’t do anything to console him and could only stare at him lovingly as he grew angrier and angrier- an unfortunate side effect of having his pituitary gland removed.  He had no control over his anger and in that very moment, didn’t really feel like restraining himself. His glass of water was thrown at the wall and Doflamingo’s name escaped his lips as he threw a tantrum. A bunch of revolutionaries finally entered the room and restrained him to the mattress as Maura cried and was taken away by another two. It’s only with a sedative that Crocodile managed to calm down and finally was receptive enough to receive Ivankov…who explained everything.

From Maura saving his life to the removal of his pituitary gland. Crocodile’s anger was fueled again and words he couldn’t control escaped his lips until Ivankov stabbed him with his claws and sedated him again so they could have a civilized discussion. He told him he would have to be on medication for the rest of his life, which had Crocodile gnawing at his lips in fury. In the span of a few months, he had lost his dream of becoming the pirate king, had lost to Whitebeard, had gotten himself a scar, lost his hand, lost Daz at sea and now learned that he was going to be on medication all of his life.

He would never become the pirate king. Doflamingo’s laugh echoed in his mind and for a moment, Crocodile wondered if it hadn’t been better if he had just died back there. Disillusioned, wounded, furious, he fell back onto the medical bed, defeated. Ivankov went on and on explaining how they needed his status as a shichibukai and Crocodile felt completely apathetic, empty. Another guy who wanted to use his status to get information on the inside. While Doflamingo wanted the protection of his title, Ivankov needed him to play double agent. No matter what he did, he was doomed to serve. He, who thought had been born for greatness, who thought he was going to be a knight elevated to royal status, was now forced in a situation where he was _again_ , locked in a subordinate position.

Few days passed and days became week. In the meantime, he contacted the world government and realized that his defeat at the end of Doflamingo was unknown from both the marines and the world as a whole. It seemed like the blond hadn’t made his defeat common knowledge. His words echoed again in Crocodile’s mind. «Someday, I’ll invite you again and you _will_ join me.» Crocodile’s head lowered.

A few weeks later, Inazuma came and presented him the rags he was wearing that day as well as the two tiny boxes they retrieved from his pants. It was his and Maura’s ring but with everything that happened, he didn’t feel like celebrating anything. He still spent his time with her and tried to get back in the groove of things but he was nothing if not a dead man. The more he kept begrudgingly brooding over his failures, the more Maura started to turn her attention to the revolutionary army. Part of her admired their ambition, their purposes…and slowly, distance was created between the two. At least, from Maura’s side. Crocodile still thought they were going well and he clung to her love thinking she would always be there for him. She had to, after all they went through.

They kept making love and each day, his love for her grew. Despite everything that happened, she was still there, by his side. This had to be _love._ Even if he had failed to protect her and her body was now disgraced with an ugly scar on her shoulder, she was still alive, she had saved his life and was still with him.

It took another month before Crocodile overheard a rather interesting conversation. Apparently, an island with the name of Ohara had been destroyed by a buster call. While this was uncommon in and of itself, this wasn’t the thing that really caught his attention but the words «ancient weapon» and «Alabasta.». With these bits of information, Crocodile felt as if he was reborn. His dream might not be dead. There might still be a way for him to advance in this cruel, unforgiving sea. He just needed to get his hands on the ancient weapons. He remembered when he was studying to be a knight, he remembered the king’s library and the books he picked about Pluton, Uranus, and Poseidon.

His lips stretched in a malevolent grin; he had to find Maura and talk to her as soon as possible. Their time within the revolutionary was counted.


	16. The ancient weapon, Pluton

 “Maura, you have to understand, this is a golden opportunity!” Crocodile’s only hand gripped at Maura’s arm and he pulled her closer but she quickly shoved him away, her gaze venomous.

“No, YOU have to understand. THIS is a golden opportunity. You could be helping and doing something that would benefit the whole world! What they are doing here is amazing and you’re only talking about stealing some imaginary old weapon from a dried-up country! Did you even listen to yourself speak!?” Her brows knitted together and she took a step back, showing him nothing but anger. Crocodile’s patience was wearing thin, both because of his lack of control on his hormones still and the fact that she was basically putting some shine on the revolutionary army instead of following him.

“They are _not_ imaginary. Even your precious revolutionary army knows about them and has an idea of its location! I’ve overheard it. All we have to do is go there, snatch the weapon and we will be able to return to the New World! I’ll be able to… have _dreams_ again!” She needed to understand. This was important for him. After losing everything, he couldn’t waste an opportunity like that.

Crocodile did not realize he still had one thing to lose.

“You are NOT going to become the pirate king! Didn’t you see what happened or did you already forgot? Is the stump on your arm not heavy? How about the scar on your face. Oh Oh oH oh or Daz, hm? What is WRONG with you?” While her anger was justified, Crocodile couldn’t believe that Maura, out of anyone, did not understand why he was doing this. She had fallen for a man who was full of ambition and he had been disillusioned, circling failure in a rapidly decaying orbit. He was doing that for her because he loved her. Sure, a good portion of it was for himself and to become the man he once was but he thought that Maura would appreciate him getting back on track.

His voice quivered and he coughed into his only palm, trying to keep himself level-headed. “Maura, what are you trying to say? Do you not trust me anymore?” He needed her, more than he cared to admit but the fury in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

“I don’t know! You ask me this out of the blue, ask me to betray the revolutionary army and follow you in this madness, what did you expect?” The word _betray_ got stuck into his throat and Crocodile’s brow knitted together.

“Betray? Betray who, to begin with? You were with me, not with them!?” He was slipping and he couldn’t do anything to slow down the fall. “I’m saying, are you coming with me or are you staying here? The choice shouldn’t be that difficult if you love me! What’s the matter with you!? Don’t tell me you found yourself a sympathetic heart on the way here and got hooked on their rebellion ideas?”

“At least they are doing SOMETHING! What are YOU doing?” The shot fired at him couldn’t have aimed better. Unable to stand this conversation any longer, Crocodile left the room, infuriated. His heart sank into his chest and burned as if it was locked in a cage of fire that only kept closing in. It burned and for a few days, the rejection kept him awake at night even more than nightmares and phantom pains ever would. When he tried talking to Maura again a few days later, she told him that she was staying with them and what was left of Crocodile’s heart, his dreams for them and his ambition, completely fell apart. Thinking back on everything he lost, Crocodile realized he had nothing left for him. His dream to become a pirate king were almost vanished outside of that sliver of hope with the ancient weapons. His only friend, who had warned him about Maura and the fact he was making a huge mistake, was now either dead, lost at sea or god knows where in the world. His face had been scarred up and he had even lost a limb. The only thing he had left was his godforsaken title of shichibukai and he intended to milk that title for all it was worth.

Pale as a ghost, Crocodile made his way to the beach where he was collected by the Revolutionary. He thought about how Maura had saved his life and the beautiful memories she gave him but the darkness in his heart couldn’t be contained anymore. He had lost everything. Pulling the rings out of his pocket, he opened the little boxes and stared at them, absently running his fingers on the diamonds and the gold. In an excess of fury, he threw them as far away from him as he could in the sea, deciding that he was throwing his heart at the same time.

You can’t lose what you don’t have and you don’t have to protect what you don’t care for. He was going to get stronger and he was going to prove them all wrong.


	17. The hero of Alabasta

As the patient man that he was, Crocodile took his time before leaving. He pretended that he changed his mind with Maura, so she wouldn’t run to Ivankov or someone else to warn them about Crocodile’s desire to run away. For weeks on end, he felt his heart rot as he whispered those «I love you» he didn’t feel anymore. He even researched the negative effects of a pituitary gland removal to see if he could go without Ivankov’s medication. He learned that the gland was divided into three section, each affecting something different in the body. Since he didn’t exactly know which one had been taken away or if they had all been taken away, he kept reading thoroughly about the subject. The frontal lobe section controlled growth, thyroid, adrenal glands and other things related to his sex.  He learned through his researches that his testosterone would be affected and he would lose body hair on most of his body beside the hair on his head since those are under another gland’s control. Until then, it didn’t seem so bad for him. The lack of testosterone could be a problem since it would affect his libido and the size of his sex negatively but Crocodile thought that this would be a small price to pay if he could just leave without dealing with Ivankov’s hormonal treatments anymore. He could suffer losing hair and an inch or two.

He also learned that without treatment, he would become infertile. It’s not like he ever wished to reproduce but learning now that he would never be a father still unsettled him a little. He never really thought about becoming one but the fact that he couldn’t _decide_ somehow really infuriated him. When it came to the adrenal gland, the problem was far more complex. Adrenal insufficiency occurs when the adrenal glands don’t make enough cortisol, and sometimes, aldosterone. Symptoms may include fatigue, muscle weakness, decreased appetite, and weight loss. That meant he would have to train twice as hard to keep his strength and muscle mass. Or he might be able to find some supplements.

As for the intermediate and posterior lobe, they controlled skin pigmentation and the absorption of water into the blood by the kidneys. This could cause him to have discolored patches of skin or suffer constant thirst since his body wouldn’t be able to feel whether or not it had enough water. Which was pretty ironic, for a sandman. Still, all in all, he judged that none of these things was life threatening. All of these things could be countered- until he read about what patients who endured pituitary removal had to go through. Most of them commented about how they lost control over their emotions and Crocodile, being reckless already on his own, knew that he would have to work twice as hard to control his fury. The first symptom on the list was irritability and for all he could tell, this was true. He had never felt as angry as since he had gotten under the Revolutionary army’s care. Crocodile would now forever be weak to his emotions, without counting Ivankov’s growth hormone’s powers. If injected with some while not having a pituitary gland to control it, his organs would be destroyed. Talk about an impossible weakness to have.

Once he was sure and his plan was done, Crocodile stole a ship from the revolutionaries. He had to take out one or two men on his way out but he did it as stealthily as possible, leaving everything and everyone behind. He didn’t even bother saying bye to Maura. He just stole the ship like a pirate and navigated to the nearest island to get his ship coated so he could return to Paradise. After months of sailing with a crew he paid on a weekly basis, Crocodile finally reached the sandy country and killed every single man that accompanied him before making his way to the capital.

Time for the knight to shine and become the country’s hero.

Upon arriving at Alubarna, Crocodile is quick to wipe out a bunch of criminals tormenting the town. Thanks to his reputation and his title, he was then allowed to meet the king, Cobra, who thanked him for his services. He announced that he felt like settling down in this country and that, in exchange for the protection he would offer them, he’d be allowed to build a casino and make money off it. The negotiations went well and Crocodile’s steady gaze locked on Cobra’s child, a light-haired princess who looked at him with the grace expected from someone of her status.

He hated that child. Not only because she reminded him of the fact he’d never be able to have children of his own but because she was already royal while he had to pretend to be a knight for their kingdom. Nonetheless, he knew that no matter what happened, he would be the one laughing in the end.

His reputation picked up quickly, each pirate crew’s defeat making him more and more of a savior. At the age of 30 and about three months in the kingdom, he was already covering the newspapers as a hero of Alubarna, savior of the people. Upon meeting with the other shichibukai, he had to endure Sengoku’s condescension who did not believe in the kindness of his heart for one second. He kept quiet and bid his time, building up his plans. After a few more months, he learned of the existence of that 14 years old child called Nico Robin, the only survivor of Ohara and the only live scholar who could read the poneglyphs. He knew he had to have her because he’d never be able to find Pluton without her so he put her on the list of employees he wanted to acquire.

As the time passed, Crocodile eventually had enough of these nights where he woke in cold sweat, phantom pains reminding him of the loss he suffered. He had the heaviest golden hook made to replace his arm and trained this new deadly weapon on a daily basis. Since he had to train harder anyway to deal with the secondary effects of his pituitary gland removal, it was killing two birds with one stone to have something so heavy attached to his arm. At the age of 33, he finally mastered his technique with the hook and could swing it as elegantly as he would a hand.

The desert also offered him an incredible opportunity to develop his powers so he spent months playing in the sand. He discovered the art of finding quicksand, creating sandstorms and twisters. His sparda, desert girasole, and barchan became even stronger and his technique refined from a diamond in the rough to a polished product that left nothing but death in its wake. Each kills making him become stronger. He fed on the cheers of the crowd as he started collecting bounties, only sparing the few that were worth keeping around. Slowly, he developed his alias in the underworld as well, making his name known as Mr. 0. He only communicated through den den mushi and made sure to remain as anonymous as possible and it’s by the age of 34 that he came up with the best plan of all. Baroque Works.

For years, he kept building his reputation. From warlord of the sea to savior of Alabasta, people seemed to forget that he was initially a pirate. To them, Sir Crocodile was a gentleman. Hard on the outside as he kept pretending he didn’t care about them but also saved them when the time came. The people came to believe that Crocodile was soft on the inside while in reality, it was just him playing a double act. Acting hard because he was a pirate and saving them so they would see him as a hero and lower their guard. It just made things a lot easier. It’s a technique he had used countless times and he even killed a king once thanks to that technique. He remembered when he was 16 years old and played pretends with what would become his first crew and fondly remembered that dumbass pirate who believed him when he told him he knew where the king held the devil fruit. Everything had gone according to the plan but now that he thought about it, there was a lot of risk in the mission back then.

Now, he was a lot more cautious so he wouldn’t have to worry about surprises. Mild annoyance tinged his features when he read in the newspaper that a new shichibukai had been appointed. A name he, unfortunately, knew by heart and despised with utmost fury;  Donquixote Doflamingo. At the age of 31, the blonde had managed to gain the World Government’s approval and was now sharing the same title he once coveted from Crocodile.

 Under the alias Mr.Zero, he placed a bounty on Nico Robin’s head. Alive only. His information network had grown in the past couple of years, making it a lot easier for him to get whatever he needed. He seized control of a first island under this alias, then a second and a third. Controlling everything from the underground base of the Rain Dinners, Crocodile even managed to get a hold of the infamous Whiskey Peak, thus securing the millions. Through them, he made the strongest rise to the ranks of billions and started giving out orders. After analyzing a few bounties, Crocodile chose the top 14 agents he wanted to have beneath him. In the pile of bounties, he’d seen the posters for a few faces he recognized, the most notorious being Daz Bones. While he wasn’t sure Daz would want to join him again after the fiasco with both Whitebeard and Doflamingo, he decided to still send an invitation as Mr. 0. There’s no telling whether or not the man would accept but being nothing but a bounty hunter, he thought that Daz might actually take the bait for something more interesting.

A night he was alone in the casino, he was offered a cup of wine from a rather bold woman he’d never seen before. She was a fiery type and there was just a little something that tickled his fancy the right way. He spent the night with her, only to be awakened when the little thief was trying to steal his rings and money. And this is why he barely ever brought his dates home. He had let himself be tempted because she was gloriously magnificent but he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. She was punished accordingly and Crocodile had her remains thrown to the bananawanis. These things were getting bigger and bigger by the day so a woman her size was still bite-size for them. Eventually, the names he’d gathered started working for him and he gave them ranks, islands and districts to take care of. Mr. 1 was one of the first to join, alongside Paula, Mr. 2 and Mr.3. Then came Miss Goldenweek. Once everyone arrived in the next few months, he finally decided to pair them up with what he thought would be the best duos, only leaving Mr.2 the right to remain alone. His business was going well and everyone did their missions as they should. Crocodile couldn’t believe how well everything was going but he supposed that his hard work was finally paying. After 6 years in Alabasta and at the lovely age of 36, Crocodile was starting to feel like the times were changing and the wind was finally turning in his favor.

It still took 4 more years of work before he could get a hand on Nico Robin and meet with her.


	18. Baroque Works

After years of research, they finally found what he was looking for. His treasure was well hidden but the last piece to his puzzle was finally going to travel across the Grand Line to come visit him; though she didn’t know yet, she wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. Pampered like a rich kid, Crocodile put on his most expensive outfit, his most expensive cologne and had his most expensive bottle of wine taken from the cellar and ready for his encounter with what would become his most _faithful_ and _efficient_ asset in the creation of his enterprise. She needed help and he needed her knowledge, this was killing two birds with one stone and he was sure she would be smart enough to see that. Within hours, she would be there, sitting in front of him. He’d been looking for her for a decade and she was finally well within his grasp. As a shichibukai, Crocodile could have her protected from the government, her crimes pardoned for the time she’d be by his side, which would hopefully be long enough for him to achieve what he had in mind. _Pluton._ He could almost smell the victory and taste it on his tongue, though he knew that _now_ was the best time to start his operation. He only needed one little push to set everything into motion.

A few hours later, there she was, standing in front of his desk in all of her splendor. Truth be told, she was a magnificent woman. Crocodile’s eyes lecherously licked at her every curve but he did so in all subtlety as he was, for all that was worth, _a gentleman_. Still, he couldn’t help thinking that the next few years would be a delight, with such an eye candy to command.

“Good evening, Nico Robin.” All she knew is that she was going to meet with Mr. Zero, the infamous man behind the Baroque Works criminal organization. He wondered how surprised she would be when she recognized him. “I am Mr. Zero.” He had her led to his casino in secrecy and she didn’t know more than she should have. Baroque Workers relayed her from left and right across Alabasta in so many different ways that the first man didn’t have the same as the last, which kept them in confusion and managed to keep Crocodile as hidden as possible from them. This is how he operated, after all. In all secrecy. Unfortunately, while delivering orders to his men in secrecy was a thing he could do with Den Den Mushi, he needed Nico Robin to know who she was working for. And she would, obviously, have to swear secrecy on his identity as well as taking a new one herself. The demon child would become Miss Allsunday, the one woman who knows everything- well, most everything. Certain things still needed to be left unsaid but she was the only one who would have access to the big lines of his plans.

The discussion that followed went smoothly and though Nico Robin was a bit mouthier than he actually preferred, they did come to an agreement. She would work for him, he would provide her shelter and protection. They sealed that with a cup of wine and eventually released her but not before making sure she understood her position. While he could give her shelter, he could also take it back and kill her within a heartbeat, without remorse. It seems like the threat was unnecessary as she was a smart woman. She understood and left, Crocodile sending spies after her to make sure she wouldn’t run away. He didn’t trust her one bit, after all.

Sipping on his wine, Crocodile leaned back in his chair. Things were going well. He had finally put his hand on Nico Robin and Baroque Works could finally start working to its full potential. Rain Dinners was a frank success and money abounded to his safes, making it easy for him to pay for anything he needed.

As time went by, Crocodile’s organization grew bigger, stronger and definitely more influential. He had people scattered left and right across the Grand Line and his information network was nothing short of impressive. Without counting the villainy of his acts in Alabasta alone, he had gotten a hold of many other islands, including Whiskey Peak and Little Garden. The former being a well-known bounty hunter’s nest. He called them his millions and billions. The billions were the lowest in the pyramid, followed by the billions, the frontier agents, the officer and finally, the top tier members being him and Nico Robin. He had the billions on different islands, doing mischief and collecting bounties, information, and anything useful for him. He had the millions inside Alabasta, dropping rain powder left and right to ensure there would be no more on the capital and he had his frontier agents complete different missions for the sake of getting Baroque Works a name.

Still locked to his seat in the underground base of the Rain Dinners, Crocodile sipped his scotch slowly. Deciding the night was too young to spend it isolated there, he decided to go to the casino and be a gracious host to his customers. As he entered the casino from the back door, he heard the whispers of those who had already heard his name. Mixing in the crowd, though unable to be subtle due to his height and reputation, Crocodile made his way to the bar and sat on a stool, half turned toward the barman, half scanning the casino. His eyes settled on a lovely redhead and he quirked a brow, completely uncaring about the fact that she was accompanied. “Give me _that.”_ He asked his barman, who prepared a drink that would pack a punch for the lady.

Unbeknownst to him, this is the moment a group of pirates decided to show up and ruin the mood, flintlocks spitting bullets left and right. Screams erupted from the crowd and many left their playing station, rushing toward the exit. Crocodile couldn’t believe the nerve of these people. Didn’t they know it was Crocodile’s casino?

Turning to sand, he reappeared in the middle of the chaos, darkened gaze locking on the man that seemed to be the leader of the operation. “Oi,” His deep voice rumbled, golden eyes finally pressing their intimidating glare forward. “What do you think you are doing to my casino? To my customers?” He didn’t really care about them but you know, the hero couldn’t pretend they weren’t there. “Anyone not involved with these bastards pull back right now.” He hated having to use his powers inside Rain Dinners. While he had a great mastery of his devil fruit and wouldn’t even leave a speck of dust when he’ll be done, he hated the damages done by the sand. In a matter of seconds, a sandstorm brewed inside and enveloped the men who thought they could come in for a quick buck, dehydrating them to bits. By the time he was done sucking all the water out of their bodies, a bunch of royal guards had arrived. Stopping the storm and calling back every little grain of sand, Crocodile glowered at the knights even if he was smiling, internally. Once again, he had proven faster than them, only furthering their incompetency to the eyes of the people. “You’re late again, knights. You can clean up the mess and tell your king that the problem was already taken care of.” It’s at this moment that Nico Robin returned to the casino and slipped past him toward the elevator that led to his office. Crocodile turned on his heel, his large fur coat swaying as the wind passed underneath and he followed her into the elevator, leaving the cleaning of the floor to the knights. He wasn’t going to have to take care of the bodies, at least. Usually, he would have them collected for the bounties but he could spare a few here and there.

Once the elevator’s door was closed, Crocodile turned his attention to the shorter woman by his side. “Already back?” The tiniest hint of a smirk curled the corner of his lip. She had decided fast. He had told her to take the night to think about it but apparently, she had only needed a couple of hours. Wonderful. “Yes. We should talk again, Sir. There are some points I want to discuss with you.” He saw no qualms with that. As soon as they were back in his office, Crocodile poured the both of them a cup of red wine and slipped in his seat, sliding her cup across his desk. “I’m listening. What do you have to counter offer? Because that’s what this is about, isn’t it?” Shifting in her seat, Robin extended one long leg over the other and crossed them, bust sticking out as she held herself straight and with pride. Crocodile’s gaze wandered over her form with as much subtlety as he could muster but he didn’t mind her knowing that he was checking her out. Manipulative women like her would appreciate knowing she was pleasing to the eye and might even get comfortable thinking she had some kind of leverage. It was a win-win, for him. “Not exactly. I am fine with your proposal. There are just some things I’d want to be able to do while under your care. I want you to know I’m only here for the poneglyph and the protection you offer. I protect myself, not you. Our goals happen to go in the same direction but I need to know that this offer of the government still extends to myself. I need guarantees. It is a known fact that when one pirate works under a shichibukai’s banner, their crimes are pardoned. You need to make sure and prove to me that it’s valid for me as well.” Being the enemy of the World Government made her rather vulnerable so she was going to make sure that working for Crocodile would really be profitable. Why work for a monster to create a disaster if she wasn’t even going to be safe? She didn’t mind which king had to fall for her to be protected but if there were only villainy and no gain for her down the line, she was not going to work for him.

Crocodile understood that well and had already prepared the papers. When he first heard of Robin, he had already claimed that she worked under him so the government would cut her some slack until she accepted his offer. If she refused, though, he would have captured her himself and sent her back to the navy with a gag in her mouth and ribbons in her hair as a nicely packaged gift. “This is already taken care of. You only need to say that you’ll work for me.” Robin’s eyes widened for half a second and she lowered her head, her purple cowboy hat and her bangs covering her eyes. “I should have known, fufufu, someone as influential has you. You probably had this planned for a while.” Crocodile revealed his teeth in a confident smirk. “A few years, actually. That’s how long I have been looking for you, Nico Robin.” Lifting her head, Robin reached for the cup of wine and swished it about before taking a sip. At the age of 24, she knew what was best for her and the best would be to not go against this man. “Then it’s settled. I’ll be in your care, Crocodile” Without skipping a beat, Crocodile replied. “It’s Mr. Zero. Don’t use my name so freely. Though, I suppose that when we’re in here you can call me by my name. From now on, you’ll be known as Miss All Sunday in my organization. You’re a part of Baroque Works now, Nico Robin. You’re its vice president, congratulation.” Crocodile raised his cup, his smile stretched devilishly.

Everything was going to go according to plan, now that he had Nico Robin.


	19. Nico Robin

Despite the medication he had been given, Crocodile knew there was something amiss. That damn okama had done well, tampering with his body in such a manner. If he wasn’t already used to waking up in cold sweat because of his nightmares, the fact that he had been rendered an even lighter sleeper definitely took a toll on his body. He was aging faster and could feel himself growing weaker as time passed. Whenever he couldn’t sleep, he ended up working out so he could feel a little more alive, a little stronger. Four locks and a chain later, Crocodile finally felt secure enough to take his hook and shower the sweat off before slicking his hair back. The number of scars littering his body was impressive, most of which had been given to him during his fight with Doflamingo. If Whitebeard had been ruthless when he broke the head he had allowed to inflate, the blond had definitely turned his body into a mess. It was a wonder how he survived this.

Momentarily, flashes of Maura reminded him how he had survived and his anger fuse blew up as he punched the ceramic wall before him, cracking the tile. Blood dripped from his knuckles and his already sour mood turned even worse. At this point, there was not much he could do. Irritability was part of him and he had to deal with insomnia and hormonal related issues on a daily basis. If he could at least keep his physical form, he couldn’t bring himself to care if his mental health deteriorated. He thought himself above this kind of illness, in any case.

Fortunately, he knew the rest of his day would be better. There was a ball at the palace later that night and Crocodile, being the savior of Alabasta, had been invited. He wondered briefly if this time, he should be going accompanied. The thought of dragging Nico Robin, of all people, to this ball certainly amused him. But that would be like throwing caution to the wind so he knew he’d have to take some kind of random good girl he’d pick up from the casino. There were just too many women in this kingdom to choose from, none of which would have the guts or desire to refuse him.

With that in mind, Crocodile got out of the shower, his mood a little better though not yet perfect. Not that it ever was; with him and since his operation by Ivankov, everything was black or white, from one extreme to another. He never felt level-headed anymore. It was either fury or mockery, nothing in between. When he was happy, he felt exhilarated. When he was angry, he couldn’t contain himself. There was a perk to living such a passionate life but he also knew better than anyone that losing one’s head in a fight would result in a quick, flavorless demise.

After spending hours perfecting his look, Crocodile eventually got out of his room. His outfit was on point, his hair slicked back and a nice cologne scent following him around as he finally got to the casino to pick up his flirt of the day. Which flavor would he go for, this time? A brunette kept eyeing him but he remembered having her once and being disappointed. Maybe he should take a man, this time? His eyes scanned the crowd and one employee of his seemed to stick out of the lot. Well, ain’t that a lucky guy? Crocodile was going to give him an evening off work and was even going to invite him to the ball. There was always a little thrill when inviting a man anywhere, not because he cared about displaying his pansexuality but because men were more prompt to refuse him than women. It was always nice to see them fumble over excuses and excuses, pretending they don’t want to hurt his feelings if they aren’t what he was looking for. There was a sort of sadistic entertainment to be taken from someone’s fear.

Moving closer to the croupier, Crocodile’s words rolled off his tongue in confidence and if the blush on the raven’s face was indication enough, he wasn’t left indifferent.

Once it was settled that the man would be accompanying, Crocodile had him prepared for the night, hair, clothes, speech and answers, and everything so they’d look good. He was arm candy so his job was to _not_ do anything that could be an attempt on Crocodile’s reputation. They entered the room like royals, a good 30 minutes late to the beginning of the festivities. It was what he liked to call tastefully late, just so people would appreciate his presence even more. It wasn’t every royal event that Crocodile dared to show up so he wanted them to realize how lucky they were that he agreed to join them.

He danced, chatted and laughed, discussed business and flirted shamelessly. He still did everything in taste and class because that’s how he wanted to carry himself; He was not a vulgar pirate, he was a _royal shichibukai_ , a warlord. He was not of the same class as other lowly pirates. At the end of the evening, Crocodile thought of bringing the boy back with him but the other man could barely stand on his own, his feet about to giving up on him. The poor man had little to no stamina it seemed and Crocodile danced him out of energy. Disappointing, he should have gone with a woman. At least, they know how to wear a heel, dance and still have enough energy for the after party.

Disgruntled, he had him sent back to his home in F-Wani and Crocodile found himself drinking wine alone in his office.

“Fufuf- I am surprised to find you here _alone_ , Sir.” Crocodile dropped his cup on his desk, splattering red across papers as Nico Robin got out of nowhere.

“Robin, what the hell!” She startled him, to say the least. His reaction had probably been a little angrier than it should have been but it’s not like he had such great control over his emotion. His heart hammered in his chest and he threw away the files, taking a note to write them again later. They were only reports for the Casino’s monthly earning so it’s not like it was an urgent matter. Filling his cup again, he saw Robin approaching his desk. Taking off her white had, she deposited it on his desk and sat across him, one long and tanned leg crossing over the other one. Steely golden eyes raked over her form with the subtlety of a pro and Crocodile briefly entertained the thought of using her. Not like he couldn’t or shouldn’t. While their relationship was professional, this co-dependency they had made her the perfect target for unattached sex. Still, he didn’t say a word, waiting for her to explain why she was in his office. Lest she wanted him to get suspicious, he expected her to start explaining soon.

“I’ve completed the last mission and retrieved the information you were looking for. It seems that the whale is protected by a man named Crocus-san and he’s not your ordinary guy. Though old, he once was a doctor on Gold Roger’s crew. I wouldn’t underestimate him.” Crocodile brushed a hand against his chin.

“So, you came here to report.” Why did he feel like she hadn’t come here just for that? His assessment was more of a statement than a question but the way he stared at her left no doubt that his curiosity was still peaked. Lifting himself off his seat, he walked to the buffet and picked another cup, filling it with wine before offering her one. “Anything else?”

“I was thinking…Maybe a small vacation? Just a week so I can catch up on some reading if you will.” Clinking her cup with his, there was a hint of a sparkle in her gaze. He didn’t have any urgent matter she needed to attend to but he didn’t want to afford her leaving for some god forsaken island in case something came up.

“Would you stay here?”

“Do you want me to?”

Something clicked inside him and his gaze unlocked from hers. Traveling down the bridge of her nose, he allowed them to trace her lips, another sip of wine wetting his lips. A little sigh escaped him as his gaze reached her angular jawline, her delicate neck and the crease over her collarbone. Each time she took a breath, it seemed to define and there was something incredibly sensual. Maybe he was just _horny_ but he wanted to reach and _touch_ her. Before he could move his gaze onto her cleavage and the rest of her shapely body, Crocodile met her eyes again. He wondered if he was the only one feeling the tension and the only thing holding him back the fact that he didn’t want her to think she had any leverage on him. He didn’t want to have to kill her _yet._

She smiled. She smiled and he realized he had no idea what was going on through her head at this moment. When she rose from her seat and trailed her nail against his front, he also realized that she hadn’t had a sip of wine. Did she not trust him, despite the fact that he had some as well? Either way, it seemed that she had caught onto what he wanted or at least, what he was thinking.  She pressed herself closer and Crocodile’s hook emerged, the sharp point pressing against the back of her neck. One sharp movement and he could kill her.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Nico Robin.” There was still no accusation in his tone but he wanted to make sure she understood that it would mean nothing and that _she_ meant nothing more than being a useful tool for his operation. This, whatever would be happening, would have no influence on how he perceived her. He wouldn’t care more or less about her.

“It takes two to play.” Crocodile laughed and trailed his hook down the length of her spine, pulling and tearing at the fabric of her shirt.  Whatever it was they had just agreed on, there was no turning back now.  His cup of wine was put aside, his only hand reaching the back of her neck and threading in thick, dark locks. Multiple hands started to work him out of his vest and grope him as Crocodile claimed her lips in a deep kiss that only kept growing in intensity. The more he kissed her and fought her for dominance, the more hands sprouted out of nowhere to rid him of his clothes or touch him. He had to admit this was a, pun not intended, handful ability and the thrill he got from feeling all of her hands on him had him aroused within minutes.

Thanks to Emporio’s alteration of his testosterone through the removal of his pituitary gland, he wasn’t used being aroused so fast. It usually took a lot of work to get him excited but Nico Robin’s skillful hands and seductive abilities definitely got the best of him. Within moments, she had him pinned back to his desk, her cute little ass pressing down on his erection. He could definitely reverse the situation and take control but there was something just _too enticing_ on seeing her riding him. His hand reached to her hip and she took it away, slamming it down the cherry wood mercilessly. A pair of hand started rubbing his tits, pinching them and twirling while another pair caressed his hair, scratched his neck delicately.  He felt another pair part his legs and heard the distinct sound of a bottle of lube being squeezed, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits as a single, lube-coated finger pressed against his entrance.

“I don’t suggest you go there.” Was the only caution he was willing to give her.  If she didn’t want to throw the mood off, she better not be thinking about this. Seems like Nico Robin was a bit kinkier than he had expected and while he appreciated and adored the feeling of her hands all over his body, he wasn’t about to let her do _everything she wanted._

“My apologies, Sir, fufu~ I didn’t know you were so sensitive.” Her tone got his brows to knit together.

“Roll back the attitude or” He didn’t have time to finish his sentence. Robin had her lips wrapped around his cock as an apology and was sure doing great work of looking apologetic, what with the arch of her brows being all pitiful.  He knew this was an act, but the sight of the woman bent over his desk and sucking his cock while she kept touching every inch of his body was nothing if not alluring. Throwing his head back, he allowed a moan to slip past his lips. Usually, he was more of a generous lover when it came to sex but he didn’t feel like it with her. Didn’t feel like he actually needed to do _anything_ to satisfy her. She wasn’t his lover, she was his employee.  He didn’t have anything to prove to her, he didn’t want to impress her. He just wanted to release some tension and she had willingly offered herself. It arranged him but it probably also arranged her. He didn’t know what exactly she had to gain from that but whatever was going through her mind was fine with him. As long as those lips remained on him and those hands kept massaging him.

He felt his cock pulse against her tongue, precum dripping from his slit as she finally pulled away after minutes of working his cock. Her jaw probably hurt because despite losing a few inches because of the lack of testosterone, Crocodile was still a proportional man. Being over 8’ tall definitely proved him a challenge for Robin who barely hit the 6 feet mark.  He had smaller partners than her before, though, so he was convinced she could endure it.

Moving on, Crocodile freed himself from her grasp and decided to return the favor. In that moment, he remembered his teacher, the first woman he ever had. A twinkle shone in his golden eyes as he reversed their position and had Robin lay across his desk. Parting her long silky legs he regretted not having his two hands anymore. They were soft and smelled like coconut, probably due to the sunscreen she had to put on while she stayed in Alabasta. His hook pulled her skirt down and he leaned down, his warm breath ghosting over her purple thong before he nibbled at her folds through the fabric. She smelled womanly, delicious and ripe like a fruit ready for the taking. His tongue finally pushed past the lips of her pussy and plunged into her, exploring her depths with delight. She was delicious, just like he expected her to be. His lips wrapped around her clit and he licked from her entrance to the little nub with the flat of his tongue before finally flicking the little fleshy button with care and passion. He heard her breathing deepening, her chest rising as more hands sprouted so she could pump two fingers in and out of her vagina while another pair of hand kneaded her own breast. He felt a pair of hands on his inner thigh, one of them taking care of his balls while the other one kept pumping his shaft. If anything, she sure knew how to fill the gaps and keep the arousal constant. Nails dragged down his backside as he gulped her fluids hungrily and he devoured her cunt with fever and a bit of a competitive desire. As much pleasure as she was giving him, as much as he wanted to see her usually composed face twist in ecstasy. If at first he didn’t think he wanted to give an effort, now it was a matter of seeing how long it would take for Nico Robin to come undone before him.

Unfortunately for Crocodile, she was much more resilient than he was and despite bringing her to climax once with his lips and enjoying the sight of her shaky thighs, her moans were still as quiet as ever. He wanted to hear her _scream_ his name but not even once had she even breathed out a little praise. Straightening himself, he gripped her hips and pulled her closer to the edge of the desk, the head of his cock kissing her entrance. He saw her body undulate as she ground against him like a wanton whore who was only waiting to be penetrated and he licked his glistening lips off her juices as he finally entered her. Her silky heat enveloped him and he felt his sex pulse with renewed heat. If he could harden even more, he definitely did as a groan pushed past his lips. Crocodile leaned atop of her and he buried his face into her neck, breathing in her scent as he littered her body with bites and kisses, essentially branding her. There was something very animalistic about their relation and Crocodile was not the kind of man who refused himself anything, his impulses included. Not really leaving her time to adjust, he pushed further into her, feeling her walls struggle to accommodate and stretch around him. Even then, not a noise escaped her lips beside a shaky gasp and a harsh breath. Robin’s arms wounded up around his neck and she rocked her hips to him as if trying to alleviate the pressure his girth imposed on her. She was good so Crocodile stopped moving, allowing her to do what she needed to in order to take him. It took a couple of minutes but once she felt adjusted, she was the one rolling her hips readily, hitching breath confirming her growing pleasure.

Crocodile started pounding into her, each little yelp like a small victory over his quiet employee. He eventually found the angle that made her the noisiest and he kept slamming repeatedly into that spot, watching her eyes fill with water as her head was thrown back in ecstasy. Finally, he could see her unravel, he could see her lose her composure. Her that was always so prompt to sass him and act like she was in control. Watching her face distorting under the build up, feeling multiple nails drawing angry red trails on his backside and feeling her walls fluttering and collapsing around his shaft turned him on way more than he originally intended to. Before he realized what’s happening, it was already too late for him to stop the motion. Nico Robin had two hands wrapped around his neck, pressing just right on his airway to stop his breathing. For a moment, he considered turning to sand and kill her for the audacity but in a twisted way, he found his pleasure to become tenfold what it already was.

He couldn’t do anything and when she reached her second orgasm, Crocodile barely had the time to pull out and splash her across the stomach with his sperm. She released his neck and he coughed, a vein bulging on his forehead and his breathing wheezy for a few minutes. That had to be one of the most intense orgasms he ever had. Of course, he would never admit it to Robin but out of all women that shared his bed, she had to be the best. Looking at her in the dim light as his fluids stained her tanned skin, Crocodile thought he had been _pretty lucky_ to put his hand on the ever so elusive Nico Robin…in more ways than one.


	20. Donquixote Doflamingo

As he was working on a pile of paperwork for Rain Dinner, Robin entered his office and tipped her hat. Both of her hands rest against the back of a chair, her steely blue gaze locked onto Crocodile. There was a hint of amusement as well but he wasn’t sure what it was far. For all he could tell, he had just given her a mission, a mission in which she had to leave now if she wanted to complete it.

“Why are you still here? Don’t you have anywhere better to be, Nico Robin? Did I not just give you an assignment?” His question rolled off his tongue and lingered in the atmosphere, Robin’s lips stretching in a grin.

“You did and I’ll be leaving. I was just wondering what kind of connection you had to this man beside the obvious.” Crocodile quirked a brow.

“This man?” he interrogated, not sure he was pleased with what he was hearing from her lips.

“Ah, yes. You have a visitor. I forgot to tell you. It’s not exactly someone I could turn away either so I suppose you will have to deal with that too. I’ll see you in a few days, Crocodile.” Turning on her heels, Crocodile had half a mind to question her about the guest in question but a gnawing, dreadful feeling grew in the pit of his stomach and he managed to refrain. Whoever had decided to visit him out of the blue like that was not someone he had on his usual guest list, otherwise, Robin would have told them to go away and call if they wanted to meet him. This could only mean bad news. The marines? Well, it wouldn’t be surprising since he was a Shichibukai but the calmness on Robin’s expression and the slight bit of mockery couldn’t be an indication of marines at his doors. If anything, she would at least show some worry if she had met the Navy, considering she was the world government’s enemy. Crocodile’s status as a shichibukai protected her but he had an inkling she wouldn’t be too comfortable in a marine’s presence.

It reduced greatly the number of people who could be visiting him and he grew all the antsier as he waited for whoever it was to show its face through his door. Sure enough, there he was a minute later, trademark grin and sunglasses shielding his eyes. Crocodile’s eyes widened and he slammed his fist on his desk, shooting up in cold sweat and fury. “DOFLAMINGO!” He didn’t know between terrified and furious which was the strongest. His last meeting with the man had cost him a hand, a lover, and his dreams but also his pride. He had already lost too much by the puppeteer’s hands to want to be anywhere near him.

“Fufufufu, It’s been a while, Croc bastard.” Blood rushed through the shichibukai’s body, making his temples throb as a vein started to thicken on his forehead.

“Did you come here to die, Flamingo?” He gritted his teeth, his eyes firmly locked on Doflamingo as he bird walked his way through Crocodile’s office and leaned over his desk.

“Is that any way to treat one of your colleagues?” True that. He had forgotten momentarily how Doflamingo became a shichibukai a few years ago. Since then, Crocodile had categorically refused to show up to any shichibukai meeting, even the crowning of the blond as a member of the warlords. He wanted nothing to do with that man. “Besides, I made my way over here from the New World. Shouldn’t you at least be offering me something to drink? Where are your manners?”

Crocodile clenched his fist and sat back down on his seat, obviously irritated beyond belief. The bitter taste of failure and bile mixed in the back of his throat, making his face twist in rancor. He lit up a cigar and threw the lighter on the desk, blowing smoke toward the ceiling. “Nobody invited you. Go away.” If only it was that easy.

“Oi, oi, oi. Don’t reject me like that, I came here to talk business. I’ve heard that you settled down but a man like you can’t possibly quit. Won’t you share your secrets with me, Crocodile?” As _charismatic_ as ever. Crocodile’s gaze moved from Doflamingo’s glasses to his outstretched lips and he found himself internally groaning. He wasn’t blind and he was certainly no fool. _He knew_ Doflamingo was stronger than him and besides, their titles as shichibukai prevented them from engaging in any sort of fight. Which was both a blessing and a curse, considering Crocodile wished for nothing more than the blonde’s demise.

“I have nothing to tell you. What are you here for? State your business and _leave._ I am a busy man.” _Just go._ _Just leave me alone._ Crocodile’s mind raced as his gaze trailed to Doflamingo’s exposed collarbone and for a second, he remembered the feeling of the other’s threads around his neck, stealing his breath away. He remembered how Robin’s hands had turned him on at the same moment and he stifled a sigh under his breath, his only hand reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He shouldn’t be associating something as erotic as Robin’s hands around his neck to the most traumatizing defeat he ever endured.

“Are you with me, Crocodile?” Shit. He had lost focus and didn’t catch onto what the other had been saying.

“I’m tired.” Lifting himself from his seat, he decided that he didn’t really want to hear what Doflamingo had to say. He walked to the door and opened it, gesturing at the blonde to leave with his hook. “You have a long travel back to where you come from and I’d hate to be holding you back.” Sarcasm dripped from his words and Doflamingo’s smile faltered for a second before he had it painted back on his face like nothing happened. Whatever went on through the other shichibukai’s head was of no concern to Crocodile who just wanted to have a cup of wine and forget about the memories rushing back to him in that moment.

Doflamingo rose from his seat and walked toward the exit and Crocodile exhaled, thinking that he had understood the message. Unfortunately, within seconds, Crocodile found himself completely unable to move. He tried to bring his hand up for a yawn, only to realize that he had been pinned to his spot by the open door. Ice dripped down the length of his spine and crashed on the small of his back as Doflamingo closed the door and more haki imbued threads wrapped around his wrists, bringing back the flavor of fear and defeat to the back of his throat. “O-Oi! What do you think you are doing, Flamingo?!?” Sweat started to bead along his hairline and Doflamingo stood before him, easily towering over Crocodile by a foot and a half.  The sandman gritted his teeth and tried to turn but his fear was confirmed when he realized he couldn’t get out of the other’s grip. The threads started to bite into the flesh of his left arm, right above the junction of his hook and skin. Crocodile’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits and he struggled uselessly, the thought that he was going to die then and there definitely crossing his mind. Like a cornered animal, he growled and bared his fangs but it was too late.

Doflamingo’s fingers moved and he found both of his arms lifted up as the blond pushed him to the wall behind him, one knee going between his legs. “Didn’t I tell you to not make me mad?” A younger Doflamingo’s voice echoed into Crocodile’s mind and another bunch of threads wrapped around his neck, slowly tightening. Wait, Doflamingo couldn’t kill him they were colleagues, right? Instead of showing fear, Crocodile’s anger only grew and he coughed, trying to free his ever-tightening airway as Doflamingo pulled on the threads to tighten them. It’s at this moment that Crocodile noticed how much blood was flowing to his groin and Doflamingo’s knee pushing against it. Asphyxiation. He couldn’t believe he’d associate that even to Doflamingo. Damn that pesky woman for introducing him to that. Crocodile bit his bottom lip and tried to will himself not to choke but before long, he was gasping because of the lack of air. His eyes became wet with tears and red splattered across the bridge of his nose and his cheeks. Doflamingo’s laugh resonated in the office before he finally released Crocodile’s neck as he was about to pass out. Falling forward, Crocodile found his face hitting the blond’s chest as he choked on the air that burned its way back to his lungs. Saliva and snot dripped from his lips and nose and a strong palm gripped his hair and yanked his head back.

“That’s a nice face you’re making there, Croc-bastard. I came all the way from Dressrossa to have a chat with you and that’s how you’re treating me? Do I need to remind you that you are _weak_?” Right through the heart. Crocodile told him to fuck off and spat on him before showing him a smirk of his own. It didn’t please Doflamingo much who kneed him in the stomach and shoved him back against the wall when he noticed that Croc’s blood hadn’t only rushed to his face. Very well. He hadn’t come here to actually mess that much with Crocodile but there was just something very enticing about the way his eyes glistened post-choking and how he tried to held himself with pride despite how furious and terrified he was.

If his personality was boring, his actions sure entertained Doflamingo enough and he wanted to see just how much he could twist Crocodile’s face even more. The puppeteer’s fingers reached up to slide against Crocodile’s facial scar and were nearly bitten, which only resulted in Doflamingo’s bony knee pressing up to Crocodile’s budding tent. The blonde’s signature laugh erupted from his lips again as Crocodile moaned, his shocked expression a pure delight for the sadist’s eyes. Instead of continuing to tease him with his knee, he lowered his hand and cupped him and Crocodile snarled at him to let him go and squirmed as strongly as he could, to no avail.

“fufufu, are you going to beg me not to, Crocodile?” Those were the words he never wanted to hear. Having the challenge thrown his way, he couldn’t stop himself from enjoying the powerplay that was going on even as he was stuck on the losing side. Asking Doflamingo to stop now would be like admitting defeat again, something he wasn’t willing to do. At the same time, saying nothing would be like admitting he wanted it- either way, he was fucked.

“I hate you and your fucking guts. I hate everything you represent and then some. Get lost already!” He closed his eyes and willed his head away, his cheeks burning as he heard the sound of his belt being undone, long and bony fingers soon wrapping around his cock. Shit. The only answer he got in return was another laugh and a squeeze around his sex before the threads were back around his throat.

“Won’t you show it to me again? That face you made when you realized how _weak_ you were?” Fuck, fuck. Fuck. The more the threads tightened, the redder he became. His eyes grew wet again and the hand wrapped around his sex had him shivering. This shouldn’t be this exciting but the pulsing only kept increasing the more Doflamingo pumped him. He felt his thighs quivering and the muscles of his abdomen spasming. He searched for his breath and desperately tried to squirm again but he couldn’t do so much as blink without Doflamingo’s permission. He saw the edge of his vision blurring before he was released again and a thick jet of precum leaked from his cock, warming up the blonde’s palm and further proving Crocodile’s arousal. He choked again and felt himself weakening, both from the strain imposed on his body by the lack of oxygen and the ever-growing arousal overwhelming his senses.

“What is _wrong_ with you” he coughed in between harsh breath before he had the sensation of something wet sliding against his cheek. When his vision returned, he realized that Doflamingo had gotten closer and had licked a trail up the side of his face- was he … licking his tears? That man was so wrong on so many levels he didn’t even know how to react to that. One hand finally ended up jerking his head back and he was flipped quickly, making his forehead press against the wall with such strength he was sure he was going to bruise.

“I can return the question easily. You’re getting off on this too.” He was ashamed but there was no way he would try to stop Doflamingo now. Not that he could anyway, this guy’s strings were making sure to keep him in place. He heard the sound of another belt being undone and it’s at this moment that the realization dampened on him; Doflamingo was not only humiliating him, he was writing in the very marrow of his bones that he was stronger than him.

“Wait- That’s not-” Too late again. He felt something _hard_ press against his back and his eyes widened again. Crocodile knew he should have seen this coming but even if he knew, maybe he had preferred closing his eyes to the truth. In any case, it was much thicker than him and definitely longer.

“Are you going to chicken out?” Crocodile managed to move his head but he only did so in order to slam his forehead against the wall and let out a rage-filled growl. He realized he’d been freed from the strings so he fought back and managed to turn around, his hook slashing Doflamingo across the cheek lightly before it was pushed back against the wall. He could feel the other shichibukai’s cock hard on his stomach and his face burned even hotter than before, a shuddering exhale worming its way past his lips.  Chicken out? He hadn’t _asked_ for this and he was _yet again_ being challenged.

“You’re a monster. That’s not going to fit. Drop that idea.” He felt even more ashamed to allow these words to escape him because _that was not a refusal._ That was flat out him looking for excuses and he knew it. He could deny all he wanted but he had always been a very libidinous man and right now, he was insanely aroused. Not really the type to refuse himself anything, Crocodile tried to save face as much as he could. After all, if he just agreed to it...wouldn’t it be like he was forgetting what happened a decade ago?

“You’re underestimating yourself, Crocodile.” Doflamingo moved closer and brushed his nose along the length of Crocodile’s jawline. For a second, he thought about his cigar that was still burning in the ashtray on his desk. His desk! Yes! That’s true…

Begrudgingly, Crocodile had to admit to himself that he wanted it too.

“…There’s lube. In a drawer. In my desk. It’s not going to fit _without_ it.” It took everything he had not to lean forward and bite Doflamingo’s face off. Did the other realize how much pride he had to put into that? Did Doflamingo even realize he had never let a man fuck him before? Not that the idea of having sex with a man repulsed him. He had many men in his bed before but he had never been a _very submissive type._  Crocodile liked his control but he, just like his father, had been trained in the ways of the knights and knew when he was facing a superior. As much as he _hated_ and _buried_ that training, it was still ingrained in him. Swallowing with difficulties when he heard Doflamingo laughing even more, he felt cold air brush the length of his body. Doflamingo pulled away and was walking toward the desk, leaving Crocodile to stand there on his own.

He thought that, at least, the humiliation would be over.

“Come over here. You want lube? Put it on yourself.” Crocodile’s eyes shot toward Doflamingo who was now sitting on his chair, dangling the bottle of lube in front of him. Crocodile’s shock turned to anger and his flushed cheeks drained of color as his fury exploded in the most violent way. Turning to sand, he crossed the room in a flash and wrapped a hand around Doflamingo’s collar, one knee on his chest as the sands reformed his body after a couple of seconds.

“Are you kidding me?!? You’re the one who started it all!” He didn’t know if he was more humiliated about the fact that he was going to have to prepare himself alone or the fact that he wanted it so much that he didn’t even consider refusing Doflamingo’s order. The blonde’s lips stretched mischievously and his laughter resonated once again in the room. There’s no doubts Crocodile would hear it on repeat for the next few weeks at this rhythm.

“I can also stop it all. Can you?” Shot fired and fired strongly. Crocodile was definitely not the kind of man who liked to be denied or who refused himself anything and now that he had come to term with the fact that he wanted Doflamingo, hearing from the guy’s very lips that he could stop without a problem was infuriating. Gritting his teeth audibly, Crocodile swallowed a growl and his pride as he reached for the bottle of lube and sat on his desk, knees up and legs parted for Doflamingo to see. How was he even supposed to do that with his hook? That damn thing was completely useless right now. Flicking the lid of the bottle of lube, Crocodile poured some on his cock and balls, watching it drip down onto the papers still under his ass. That’s another job he’s going to have to do after that mess.

Wrapping his hand around his shaft, Crocodile started jerking himself, fingers kneading into his balls each time they reached the base of his sex. He kept his eyes half closed, unable to look at Doflamingo since he knew what kind of terrific smile the other was wearing right now and he really didn’t need to feel humiliated more than that. Slowly, he let his hand fall back down to his ass, two fingers pushing against his entrance—but they were too thick. Two would be too much for one’s untouched pucker and he had to resolve himself to using only one. Doflamingo who had gotten himself front row seats to this show was carefully and _lazily_ stroking his cock, watching as Crocodile struggled to get only one finger in. Whether or not he realized that he was the first was of no importance right now and Crocodile was not going to tell him that; though his actions were telltale of his inexperience. After minutes of struggling, he finally managed to get a second finger in and started scissoring but he found himself unable to become elastic and loose enough.

“You’re terrible at that, aren’t you, fufufuf!” More mockery came his way and he snapped instantly.

“Shut the hell up! You can always help, you asshole!” But help wasn’t exactly what Doflamingo had in mind. Lifting himself from his seat, he parted both of Crocodile’s leg and slid between them. With his cock in hand, he gripped at Crocodile’s sex and started jerking both of them at the same time. The older man’s moans started to grow in intensity and Crocodile pulled his fingers out of his ass, both legs wrapping around Doflamingo’s waist. His cock was dripping and he could feel himself throb within the blonde’s palm. Bringing his knuckles up so he could bite on them and stifle his moan, Crocodile’s hook slammed onto his desk and he scratched the cherry wood inadvertently. He felt a building pressure in the pit of his loins and he knew that the fire meant that he was getting close to his climax. Doflamingo pulled away almost at the same time, the thick crown now pressing against Crocodile’s entrance. Some more lube was squirted onto his shaft and Doflamingo mercilessly thrust into Crocodile, ripping a scream out of his lips. He desperately tried to hold it back but he hadn’t been prepared enough and it _hurt like hell_.

His body tensed up instantly and Doflamingo’s breathless gasp against the shell of his ear set him ablaze with renewed heat. He was quickly overwhelmed by the sound of the other’s breathing against the shell of his ear and the way he whispered about how tight he was and how he needed to loosen up. Doflamingo’s hips pulled back and he slammed back in, a filthy squelching noise reaching Crocodile’s ears. He was so wet from both the lube and his own precum that his ass made dirty sucking noises each time Doflamingo moved within him. He trembled like a leaf and his eyes watered again, this time both out of pain and pleasure. The way Doflamingo filled him and rubbed against his prostate turned him into a mess and his mind just melted as he was overwhelmed by lust. His perfect hair was wet with sweat, his face distorted by that delicious ache building inside him. He rocked his hips back as Doflamingo pumped in and out of him mercilessly, the sound of skin meeting skin turning him on even more.

Crocodile’s stomach was glistening with sweat and precum as Doflamingo’s teeth latched onto his collarbone. The pain shot so strongly that he felt his skin thicken almost instantly and his nipples hardened, only to catch Doflamingo’s attention next. The blonde’s lips and fingers wrapped around his tits and pinched them, leaving Crocodile unable to restrain his sounds. The unforgiving rhythm of the shichibukai’s hips combined with the soft ministrations to his chest made him come with a loud cry, his hook leaving an angry red trail along the length of Doflamingo’s spine. His walls tightened fiercely around Doflamingo’s girth, squeezing him to completion in a matter of minutes.

Crocodile’s body ached all over and he felt as if he had run a marathon. His throat was sore from the earlier choking and his moans, his eyes were red and dry because of the tears caused…by just everything, his body was covered in sweat and he was stained with his own cum, without counting Doflamingo’s that was still dripping from his ass. When the other pulled out of him, he felt the slick, disgusting feeling of sperm escaping his abused entrance, stinging on the small tears on its way out. Crocodile was panting heavily and refused to move from his desk as Doflamingo observed him like a hawk, pants still pooled around his ankles.

“That’s a nice sight you’re giving me there, Crocodile, fufufu” He was too tired to fight that back but he rolled off his desk and winced as he sat up, pain shooting from his bottom to his nape in one electric jolt. Damn it. _Damn it all to hell._

“..Now’s the time to tell me why you really came here for, I guess.” They hadn’t discussed that at all since Crocodile had tried to kick him out. Lifting himself from his desk, he watched as Doflamingo pulled his pants up and started dressing up again. Crocodile followed suit and promised himself to burn that outfit later as well.

“Changed my mind. I have other things to attend to but this was nice. I’ll call you again soon.” If he had any energy left, Crocodile would use it to be angry that it ended up _just like that._ He didn’t stop him as Doflamingo crossed the door, leaving Crocodile alone to his own thoughts and devices. There was a long night of cleaning up the office’s mess and a long bath to be taken. Maybe a drink could also help wash away all the thoughts rushing through his head.

_That damn flamingo bastard._


	21. Monkey D. Luffy

Two years. That’s how long Robin’s last mission lasted and she returned just in time for Crocodile’s 44th birthday. After giving her report for her last mission, Crocodile asked her about what happened on Whiskey Peak. He tried to contact her after the Igaram mess and couldn't,t get a hold of her. He couldn’t even get to any bounty hunter on the island and that was worrisome. While they were only billions and the lowest ranked agent in Baroque Works, everyone had their importance in the grand scheme of things. To bring his plans to completion, he needed everyone. He was not going to accept failure. He hadn’t spent 14 years in Alabasta pretending he was a hero only to have it blowing in his face at the last moment.

“Well, Sir, do you remember the last bounties that showed up? We talked about it on the den den mushi.” Crocodile sighed heavily and gestured emptily with his hand as he took a deep drag on his cigar.

“Don’t waste my time, Robin.” Seems like someone was out of patience.

“A rookie. His name is Monkey D. Luffy. He’s the 30 million bounty that was discussed at the last shichibukai meeting. The one you didn’t attend.” She mused, a grin stretching her lips. Crocodile’s brows knitted together as a very vivid bout of laughter echoed against his eardrums.

“How do you know what was told in the meeting? And I have my reasons for not going. Like what I’m doing here is more important. Now, will you get to the point, already?” He didn’t know how long she intended on playing that game but he wished she’d stop already and just tell him what it was all about.

“The strawhats disembarked in Whiskey Peak and took the billions out when they realized they were bounty hunter, fufu~ They’re pretty strong, aren’t they?” Robin remembered how she tried to give them a log pose to Alabasta and how their captain had smashed it saying she had no rights to choose their journey for them. He sure was a bold headed young man.

“They did what?” Not that Crocodile had any attachment to _any_ of his subordinates but the fact that his entire billion army had been taken out on Whiskey Peak was a bother. “What about Miss Valentine and Mr.5? Weren’t they in charge of the area?”

“They’re heading for Little Garden as we speak and so are the strawhats.” A vein started to bulge on his forehead as he grew angry, his fingers reaching for some papers. He aggressively wrote down a few lines and sealed it with the Baroque Works seal.

“Call the Unluckies and have this delivered to Mr.3 and Miss Goldenweek pronto. They are not to make it past Little Garden.” His gaze became somber as Nico Robin took the envelope with her and headed out the office.

“At your service, Sir.” Robin left the room and Crocodile picked a pile of bounties from his desk. In the dim light, he stared at Luffy’s smile before crumpling the paper in a tight fist.

He had a bad feeling about this.


End file.
